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Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the 

Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River 

Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

By Sue C. Kahle, Claire I. Longpré, Raymond R. Smith, Steve S. Sumioka, Anni M. 

Watkins, and David L. Kresch

Prepared in cooperation with the

COLVILLE RIVER WATERSHED PLANNING TEAM FOR THE 2000-2004 WRIA 59 COLVILLE 

RIVER WATERSHED PLANNING PROJECT

Tacoma, Washington

2003

Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4128

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
For additional information write to:

Director, Washington Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

1201 Pacific Avenue – Suite 600

Tacoma, Washington 98402

http://wa.water.usgs.gov

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does 

not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Copies of this report can be purchased from:

U.S. Geological Survey

Information Services

Building 810

Box 25286, Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225-0286

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GALE A. NORTON, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Charles G. Groat, Director

Suggested citation:

Kahle, S.C., Longpré, C.I., Smith, R.R., Sumioka, S.S., Watkins, A.M., and Kresch, D.L., 2003, Water resources of the 

ground-water system in the unconsolidated deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington: 

U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4128, 76 p. 
Contents iii

CONTENTS

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 2

Purpose and Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Description of Study Area........................................................................................................................... 4

Well-Numbering System............................................................................................................................. 5

Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................................... 5

Study Methods...................................................................................................................................................... 6

Well Inventory ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Hydrogeology.............................................................................................................................................. 6

Hydrogeologic Framework .................................................................................................................................. 7

Geologic Setting.......................................................................................................................................... 7

Hydrogeologic Units ................................................................................................................................... 10

Hydraulic Properties.................................................................................................................................... 17

Ground-Water Flow Directions................................................................................................................... 18

Ground-Water Level Fluctuations............................................................................................................... 21

Ground-Water Development and Storage................................................................................................... 21

Ground- and Surface-Water Interactions ............................................................................................................. 22

Streamflow .................................................................................................................................................. 22

Interactions Between Ground and Surface Water and Between the Deep and Shallow Aquifers.............. 32

Water Quantity ..................................................................................................................................................... 33

Surface- and Ground-Water Withdrawals................................................................................................... 33

Ground-Water Recharge ............................................................................................................................. 34

Estimated Water Budget ............................................................................................................................. 37

Summary and Conclusions................................................................................................................................... 39

Selected References.............................................................................................................................................. 41

Appendix 1. Water rights and claims data, return flow data, and water-use data compiled, 

reviewed, and submitted by the WRIA 59 Watershed Planning Team........................................... 68
iv Figures

PLATE

[Plate is in pocket]

Plate 1. Map and hydrogeologic sections showing location of inventoried wells, surficial geology, and 

hydrogeologic units in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.

FIGURES

Figure 1. Map showing location of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington ................... 3

Figure 2. Diagram showing well-numbering system used in Washington ....................................................... 5

Figure 3. Map showing extent of glacial ice and glacial lakes in northern Washington, Idaho, and 

part of Montana.................................................................................................................................. 8

Figure 4. Diagram showing simplified conceptual model of hydrologic conditions near the middle 

of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington........................................................ 11

Figure 5. Chart showing lithologic and hydrologic characteristics of the hydrogeologic units in the 

Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington .................................................................. 12

Figure 6. Map showing thickness and areal extent of the Upper outwash aquifer in the 

Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington .................................................................. 14

Figure 7. Map showing thickness and areal extent of the Colville Valley confining unit 

in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington ........................................................ 15

Figure 8. Map showing areal extent, water-level altitudes, and inferred directions of ground-water 

flow in the Lower aquifer in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.............. 16

Figure 9. Map showing inferred directions of ground-water flow in the Upper outwash aquifer 

in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington ........................................................ 19

Figure 10. Graph showing mean daily discharges for the period of record (1923-2001) for 

U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 12409000, Colville River at 

Kettle Falls, in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington ................................... 23

Figure 11. Map showing locations of U.S. Geological Survey continuous-record streamflow-gaging 

stations and other sites at which measurements of stream discharge were made during 

2001-02 in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.......................................... 26

Figure 12. Map showing modeled subbasins, distribution of long-term (1961-90) precipitation, 

and streamflow-gaging stations with data used to estimate recharge in the 

Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington .................................................................. 35

Figure 13. Graph showing comparison of measured streamflow and ground-water discharge 

calculated by the PULSE computer model for U.S. Geological Survey 

streamflow-gaging station 12407520, Deer Creek near Valley, Washington, 

from January 1, 1965, through December 31, 1965 .......................................................................... 36
Tables v

TABLES

Table 1. Summary of estimated horizontal hydraulic conductivities of selected hydrogeologic units 

in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington ........................................................ 18

Table 2. Continuous-record stream-gaging stations in the Colville River Watershed, 

Stevens County, Washington............................................................................................................. 22

Table 3. Miscellaneous discharge measurements made in the Colville River Watershed, 

Stevens County, Washington, 2001 and 2002 ................................................................................... 24

Table 4. Surface-water budget for the Colville River based on discharge measurements made 

during the September-October 2001 seepage run, Colville River Watershed, 

Stevens County, Washington............................................................................................................. 28

Table 5. Net gain or loss between consecutive Colville River discharge measurement locations 

during the September-October 2001 seepage run, Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, 

Washington ........................................................................................................................................ 29

Table 6. Net gain or loss of tributary flow across Colville Valley floor based on discharge 

measurements made during the September-October 2001 seepage run, Colville River 

Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.......................................................................................... 31

Table 7. High-flow discharge measurements made in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, 

Washington, April 2002..................................................................................................................... 32

Table 8. Water-use categories and withdrawals, Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, 

Washington, 2001 .............................................................................................................................. 33

Table 9. Annual recharge estimated by the PULSE model for the Colville River Watershed 

and for selected subbasins, Washington ............................................................................................ 37

Table 10. Estimated annual water budget for the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington .... 38

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, 

Stevens County, Washington............................................................................................................. 46

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, 

Stevens County, Washington............................................................................................................. 58
vi Conversion Factors and Datum

CONVERSION FACTORS AND DATUM

CONVERSION FACTORS

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F-32)/1.8

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=1.8 × °C+32.

Transmissivity: The standard unit for transmissivity is cubic foot per day per square foot times foot 

of aquifer thickness [(ft3/d)/ft2]ft. In this report, the mathematically reduced form, foot squared per 

day (ft2/d), is used for convenience.

DATUM

Vertical coordinate information was referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 

(NGVD29), referred to in this report as "sea level."

Horizontal coordinate information was referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 

(NAD83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above or below sea level.

Multiply By To obtain

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter

acre-foot per day (acre-ft/d) 0.01427 cubic meter per second

acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 1,233 cubic meter per year

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second

cubic foot per day (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per day

cubic foot per second per mile (ft3/s)/mi 0.01760 cubic meter per second per kilometer

cubic foot per second per square mile (ft3/s)/mi2 0.01093 cubic meter per second per square kilometer

cubic mile (mi3) 4.168 cubic kilometer

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter

inch per year (in./yr) 25.4 millimeter per year

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter

foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day

foot per mile (ft/mi) 0.1894 meter per kilometer

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter

gallon per day (gal/d) 0.003785 cubic meter per day

gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second

million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meter

million gallons per year (Mgal/yr) 3,785 cubic meter per year

square foot (ft2) 0.0929 square meter

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer 
Abstract 1

Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the 

Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River 

Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

By Sue C. Kahle, Claire I. Longpré, Raymond R. Smith, Steven S. Sumioka, Anni M. Watkins, 

and David L. Kresch

ABSTRACT

A study of the water resources of the 

ground-water system in the unconsolidated 

deposits of the Colville River Watershed provided 

the Colville River Watershed Planning Team with 

an assessment of the hydrogeologic framework, 

preliminary determinations of how the shallow and 

deeper parts of the ground-water system interact 

with each other and the surface-water system, 

descriptions of water-quantity characteristics 

including water-use estimates and an estimated 

water budget for the watershed, and an assessment 

of further data needs. The 1,007-square-mile 

watershed, located in Stevens County in 

northeastern Washington, is closed to further 

surface-water appropriations throughout most of 

the basin during most seasons. The information 

provided by this study will assist local watershed 

planners in assessing the status of water resources 

within the Colville River Watershed (Water 

Resources Inventory Area 59). 

The hydrogeologic framework consists of 

glacial and alluvial deposits that overlie bedrock 

and are more than 700 feet thick in places. A map 

of the surficial geology was compiled and used 

with drillers' logs for more than 350 wells to 

construct 26 hydrogeologic sections. Seven 

hydrogeologic units were delineated: the Upper 

outwash aquifer, the Till confining unit, the Older 

outwash aquifer, the Colville Valley confining 

unit, the Lower aquifer, the Lower confining unit, 

and Bedrock.

Synoptic stream discharge measurements 

made in September 2001 identified gaining and 

losing reaches over the unconsolidated valley 

deposits. During the September measurement 

period, the Colville River gained flow from the 

shallow ground-water system near its headwaters 

to the town of Valley and lost flow to the shallow 

ground-water system from Valley to Chewelah. 

Downstream from Chewelah, the river generally 

lost flow, but the amounts lost were small and 

within measurement error. Ground-water levels 

indicate that the Lower aquifer and the shallow 

ground-water system may act as fairly 

independent systems. The presence of flowing 

wells completed in the Lower aquifer indicates 

upward head gradients along much of the Colville 

Valley floor. 

Total surface- and ground-water 

withdrawals during 2001 were estimated to be 

9,340 million gallons. Water use for 2001, as a 

percentage of the total, was 75.3 percent for 

irrigation, 16.3 percent for public supply, 6.5 

percent for private wells, and about 1 percent each 

for industrial and livestock use. An approximate 

water budget for a typical year in the Colville 

River Watershed shows that 27 inches of 

precipitation are balanced by 4.2 inches of 

streamflow discharge from the basin, 0.3 inch of 

ground-water discharge from the basin, and 22.5 

inches of evapotranspiration. 
2 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

INTRODUCTION

The Colville River Watershed is a 1,007-squaremile area located mostly in Stevens County, 

northeastern Washington (fig. 1). It is a roughly northsouth-oriented basin about 45 mi long and 23 mi wide 

and extends from near the towns of Springdale and 

Loon Lake at the southern end of the basin to near the 

town of Kettle Falls at the northwestern extent of the 

basin (pl. 1). The Colville River begins as Sheep Creek 

at the southern end of the basin, then flows generally 

north to the town of Chewelah and continues northnorthwest to the town of Colville. Beyond Colville, the 

river follows a more westerly course and empties into 

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (also known as Lake 

Roosevelt) 2 mi southwest of the town of Kettle Falls. 

In recent years, increased use of ground- and 

surface-water supplies in watersheds of Washington 

State has created concern that insufficient instream 

flows remain for fish and other uses. In response, the 

Washington State Legislature passed the Watershed 

Management Act of 1998 (HB 2514), which 

encourages and provides funding for local watershed 

planning and delegates the planning to a local level. As 

part of this planning, stakeholders within a Water 

Resources Inventory Area (WRIA) need to assess the 

status of water resources in the WRIA and determine if 

there is water available for allocation within the WRIA. 

Presently, in WRIA 59, the Colville River 

Watershed, surface water is available for further 

appropriation only from the mainstem of the Colville 

River from October 1 through July 15, and all streams 

tributary to the Colville have been fully appropriated 

under existing water rights (Chung and Slattery, 1977). 

In 1994, issuance of new ground-water rights was 

halted by the Washington Department of Ecology 

because of possible hydraulic continuity between the 

ground- and surface-water systems. Although exempt 

wells are still available for single- and multiple-family 

uses, the closures put limits on economic growth within 

the Colville River Watershed.

With few options for new water rights available, 

growth and economic health in the watershed are a 

concern. Therefore, the WRIA 59 Colville River 

Watershed Planning Team (Planning Team) is 

developing a long-range sustainable watershed plan to 

meet the needs of current and future water demands 

within the watershed, while also working to protect and 

improve its natural resources. Toward this end, the U.S. 

Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Planning 

Team, conducted a ground-water study with the 

primary goal of investigating the ground-water system 

of the unconsolidated valley-fill deposits of the 

Colville River Watershed. The study was conducted 

under the watershed-planning grant administered by 

the Stevens County Conservation District (SCCD) and 

represents Phase I of a two-part study. Phase II, a 

ground-water modeling study, is planned to be 

conducted at the completion of Phase I and will build 

on the hydrogeologic framework described in this 

report. The objective of Phase II is to create a 

watershed management tool to evaluate the possible 

regional impacts of different ground-water use 

alternatives prior to their implementation.

Prior to this study, a comprehensive assessment 

of the ground-water resources of the Colville River 

Watershed had not been done, and the potential for 

further ground-water development in the alluvial 

valleys of the basin was not known (Mix, 1977). An 

assessment of the ground-water resources could 

provide the Planning Team the information needed to 

determine if there are previously unused sources of 

water whose use may have minimal impact on closed 

streams. In addition, such an assessment would identify 

hydrogeologic units that could be explored in the future 

for possible use of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR). 

A preliminary assessment of how the shallow and 

deeper parts of the ground-water systems interact with 

each other also may provide the information needed to 

explore additional uses of ground water in selected 

parts of the basin. An estimated water budget could 

assist the Planning Team in addressing water-quantity 

issues set forth in the Watershed Management Act (HB 

2514). 
Introduction 3

S

2

Spokane

Spokane Indian Reservation

Pend Oreille County

Stevens County

Spokane County

Ferry County

CANADA

UNITED STATES

BRITISH COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON

Kettle

Falls Colville

Chewelah

Springdale

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER

WATERSHED

EXPLANATION

118°30' 118° 117°30'

49

48°

25 MILES

0 5 10 15 20 35 KILOMETERS

5 10 15 20

25 30

0

WASHINGTON

Figure location

Franklin

D. Roosevelt

Lake

Columbia

River

Spokane

River

Colville River

Pen

d

Oreille River

Chamokane Creek

Figure 1. Location of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
4 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

The objectives of this study were to:

• Define the hydrogeologic framework, 

including mapping the extent and thickness of 

aquifers and confining units in the 

unconsolidated deposits of the ground-water 

system;

• Make a preliminary determination of how the 

shallow and deeper parts of the ground-water 

system interact with each other and the 

surface-water system;

• Address water quantity issues, including 

estimating a water budget for the Colville 

River Watershed; and

• Evaluate the need for additional data required 

for the construction of a ground-water flow 

model.

Purpose and Scope 

This report presents the results of the Phase I 

study of the hydrogeologic framework of the valley-fill 

deposits of the Colville River Watershed. It describes 

the extent and thickness of the significant hydrologic 

units; discusses interactions between aquifers and with 

the surface-water system; provides a water-budget 

estimate; and discusses additional data needs. The 

scope of the report includes the regional and local 

geologic history, the surficial geology of the Colville 

River Watershed, the physical characteristics of the 

hydrogeologic units, ground-water levels and flow 

directions, ground-water development and storage, 

characteristics of the streamflow network, summaries 

of surface- and ground-water withdrawals within the 

watershed, and estimates of ground-water recharge.

Description of Study Area

Physiographically, the Colville River Basin is 

composed of hilly and mountainous terrain of the 

Selkirk Mountains, which is bisected by the generally 

north-south river valley that in most places is less than 

3 mi wide. Altitudes in the basin range from 1,290 ft at 

the mouth of the Colville River to near 7,000 ft in the 

upland areas. The altitude of Colville Valley, which 

occupies the central portion of the basin, ranges from 

1,920 ft near Springdale to 1,620 ft at Kettle Falls, 

about 43 mi downstream. To the south, the low 

drainage divide between the north-flowing Colville 

River and south-flowing Chamokane Creek is 

underlain by recent alluvium, glacial outwash and till, 

and thick clay and silt deposited in large Ice Age lakes. 

These unconsolidated deposits form an anomalous 

drainage divide in an otherwise broad and continuous 

valley. A preglacial Columbia River may have flowed 

south through the present-day Colville River and 

Chamokane Creek valleys to the Spokane River 

(Willis, 1887).

Most of the mountainous areas in the basin are 

covered with pine, fir, and larch forests that are the 

basis for the large historical and present lumber 

industry in the area. Recreational use of the basin is 

commonplace because of its pristine setting and 

numerous lakes and streams. Although the Colville 

River and its tributaries are home to several species of 

fish, none of them is listed as endangered or threatened.

Geologically, the basin can be grouped into three 

types of formations: bedrock, glacial drift, and valley 

alluvium. The bedrock, consisting of sedimentary, 

metamorphic, and intrusive igneous rocks, forms the 

hills and mountains of the basin and underlies the 

lowland areas at generally unknown depths. Glacial 

deposits including silt, sand, gravel, clay, and till 

mantle much of the lowland areas and lower reaches of 

the hills and mountains. These deposits were laid down 

during repeated advances of the Colville Lobe of the 

Cordilleran ice sheet during the Pleistocene Ice Age. 

Sands and gravels deposited by outwash streams are 

significant sources of ground water in the basin. Recent 

valley alluvium is limited mostly to the Colville River 

valley, where it lies directly on the Pleistocene glacial 

drift.

The lowland areas of the basin support several 

towns, numerous farms with much grazing and hay 

production, and increasing light commercial and 

industrial development, mostly in Colville and 

Chewelah. A magnesium production facility in Addy 

operated for about 30 years until operations were 

discontinued in 2001 because of depressed metal 

prices. Colville, located in the north central part of the 

basin, is the County seat and has a population of about 

5,000. The total estimated population for WRIA 59 is 

22,430 residents, based on the 2000 Census for Stevens 

County (Linda Kiefer, WRIA 59 Watershed 

Coordinator, Stevens County Conservation District, 

written commun., March 2002). Population in the basin 

has nearly doubled since the 1970s, thereby increasing 

the demand on present water supplies, both for 

drinking water and other uses.
Introduction 5

Well-Numbering System

In Washington, wells are assigned numbers that 

identify their location within a township, range, 

section, and 40-acre tract. Number 33N/40E-25E01 

(fig. 2) indicates that the well is in Township 33 North 

and Range 40 East, north and east of the Willamette 

Base Line and Meridian, respectively. The numbers 

immediately following the hyphen indicate the section 

(25) within the township; the letter following the 

section gives the 40-acre tract of the section, as shown 

on figure 2. The two-digit sequence number (01) 

following the letter indicates that the well was the first 

one inventoried by project personnel in that 40-acre 

tract. A "D" following the sequence number indicates 

that the well has been deepened. In the illustrations of 

this report, wells are identified individually by only the 

section and 40-acre tract, such as 25E01; township and 

range are shown on the map borders.

Acknowledgments

This study was completed with the assistance of 

many individuals and groups. We thank Linda M. 

Kiefer, WRIA 59 Watershed Coordinator, and the many 

dedicated members of the Watershed Planning Team 

who provided helpful information, dialogue, and 

insights into the watershed management issues of the 

Colville River Watershed. Staff members of the 

Stevens County Conservation District provided able 

assistance in collecting and reporting field data. Fogle 

Pump and Supply, K.C. Kane Drilling, and Sams 

Drilling provided additional drilling information that 

aided in the hydrogeologic interpretations. Many water 

purveyors, including the Cities of Colville, Chewelah, 

and Kettle Falls; Public Utility District No. 1 of 

Stevens County; Northwest Alloys; and numerous 

smaller water systems, provided historical information 

and access to wells for water-level measurements. The 

Stevens County Assessor's office responded to 

numerous inquiries and provided information on 

historical ownership of properties in order to match 

drillers' records to current well and property owners. 

We also thank the private landowners for granting 

permission to access their property for data collection. 

Without their consent, it would have been impossible to 

collect the majority of the data required for this study.

Numerous reviewers provided helpful comments 

on the draft report. The WRIA 59 Watershed Planning 

Team solicited comments on the draft report from its 

entire membership. Planning Team members who 

provided comments include Richard C.R. Price, Public 

Utility District No. 1 of Stevens County; David E. 

Martineau and Dennis D. Ferguson, City of Colville; 

Joel L. Gassaway, City of Kettle Falls; Brian R. 

Crossley, Spokane Tribe of Indians; Mimi L. 

Wainwright and others, Washington Department of 

Ecology; John P. Buchanan, Eastern Washington 

University; Linda M. Kiefer, Stevens County 

Conservation District; and members of the WRIA 59 

Water Quantity Committee. Eugene P. Kiver and Dale 

F. Stradling, Eastern Washington University, retired, 

shared their expertise on the local geologic history by 

providing helpful review comments on the geology 

section of this report.

Willamette Meridian

Willamette Base Line

SECTION 25

33N/40E-25E01

D C B A

E FGH

M L K J

NPQR

R. 40 E.

T.

33

N.

6 5 4 3 2 1

7 12

18 13

19 24

30 25

31 32 33 34 35 36

WASHINGTON

Figure 2. Well-numbering system used in Washington.
6 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

STUDY METHODS

Collecting the basic data required to characterize 

the hydrogeologic framework and analyze the direction 

of ground-water movement within the Colville River 

Watershed involved field inventory of wells, 

measurement of water levels in wells, and construction 

of hydrogeologic sections, hydrogeologic unit maps, 

and water-level maps. Methods used to collect and 

interpret the hydrogeologic data are presented in this 

section. Methods used to describe the ground- and 

surface-water interactions and the water quantity of the 

study area are included with those respective sections 

later in this report.

Well Inventory

Between August and November 2001, 362 wells 

were inventoried to acquire data throughout the study 

area (pl. 1). The physical and hydrologic data for these 

wells are provided in table 11 (at back of report). 

Criteria for site selection included availability of a 

driller's report and lithologic information (obtained 

from Washington Department of Ecology, local 

drillers, and owners), location and depth of the well, 

and the ease of access to the well. The intent was to 

collect data from inventoried wells evenly distributed 

throughout the unconsolidated deposits of the study 

area, including the main Colville Valley floor and side 

valleys. However, this was not possible in all areas, 

mostly because of lack of development in much of the 

watershed and to a much lesser extent, lack of 

permission to access some wells. 

Information gathered at field-located wells 

included site location, land-surface altitude, and wellconstruction details. Depth to water (water level) was 

measured in most wells using a calibrated electric tape 

or graduated steel tape, both with accuracy to 0.01 ft. In 

some cases, water levels were not measured because a 

well was difficult to access. Site locations were plotted 

on USGS 1:24,000-scale topographic maps. Altitudes 

of the land surface at each site were interpolated from 

the topographic maps, with an accuracy of ±20 ft. 

Latitude and longitude locations were obtained for 

field-located wells using a Global Positioning System 

(GPS) receiver with a horizontal accuracy of one-half a 

second. Information collected during the inventory was 

entered into the USGS National Water Information 

System (NWIS) database. 

In addition to the water levels measured during 

the inventory phase of this study, water levels in 121 

wells were measured again during a 2-week period in 

May 2002. All water-level measurements are included 

in table 11. During the well inventory and the May 

2002 synoptic water-level measurement, fieldwork was 

shared equally between personnel from the USGS and 

the Stevens County Conservation District. 

Coordination between the two agencies ensured that 

the field methods used were consistent and met 

standards required for USGS data collection.

Hydrogeology

Lithologic data from the field-inventoried wells 

were entered into the Rockworks 2002® software, a 

stratigraphic analysis package. Twenty-six 

hydrogeologic sections were constructed using 

Rockworks, in order to identify and correlate 

hydrogeologic units based primarily on grain size and 

stratigraphic position. Eight representative sections of 

the original 26 are published in this report. Thickness 

and extent-of-unit maps were constructed for two units 

using information from the hydrogeologic sections and 

data from additional wells. Water-level maps, showing 

estimated directions of ground-water movement, for 

the two principal aquifers in the study area, were 

constructed using water-level data collected during the 

well inventory phase in the autumn of 2001.
Hydrogeologic Framework 7

HYDROGEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK

This section describes the geologic and 

hydrogeologic framework, which defines the physical, 

lithologic, and hydrologic characteristics of the 

hydrogeologic units that compose the ground-water 

system of the Colville River Watershed. An 

understanding of these characteristics is important in 

determining the occurrence and availability of ground 

water within the watershed.

Geologic Setting

The geology of the Colville Basin is extremely 

complex and is composed of various types of bedrock 

(for example, shale, slate, dolomite, quartzite, granite, 

and basalt) overlain in many places with varying types 

and thicknesses of unconsolidated sediment such as 

silt, sand, gravel, and clay. These occur in till, outwash, 

alluvium, Lake Missoula flood deposits, and loess. 

Bedrock units in the Colville Basin and 

surrounding areas record a complex structural history 

involving repeated periods of folding, faulting, and 

igneous intrusion (Miller and Clark, 1975; Lasmanis, 

1991; and Miller, 2001). Regional geologic mapping 

(Stoffel and others, 1991) shows that Huckleberry 

Mountain, southwest of Chewelah, is composed mostly 

of alternating beds of argillite, dolomite, and slate; 

Dunn Mountain, west of Addy, is composed mostly of 

quartzite and greenstone; Mingo Mountain, south of 

Kettle Falls, is composed of quartzite and phyllite. On 

the east side of the Colville Valley near Chewelah, 

Chewelah Mountain and Round Top Mountain are 

composed mostly of argillite and quartzite. Much of the 

bedrock in the Little Pend Oreille Basin east of Arden, 

from Little Calispell Peak on the south to near Old 

Dominion Mountain to the north, is composed of 

granite. From Old Dominion Mountain west toward 

Echo Valley, the bedrock in the northern part of the 

basin is composed mostly of quartzite, dolomite, 

phyllite, and slate. Volcanic rocks are found in an area 

south of Kettle Falls and in the southern end of the 

basin south of Chewelah and near Springdale.

Overlying the bedrock of the Colville Basin is an 

equally complex assemblage of unconsolidated 

sediment deposited during glacial or interglacial 

periods. At least two periods of glacial activity have 

influenced the topography and sedimentation of the 

region. Although sediments from the earliest 

glaciations are encountered locally in deep wells, little 

surface evidence remains to reconstruct their 

depositional history. Only the most recent glacial 

history is recorded in exposed sediment in the study 

area.

During the climax of the most recent glaciation 

(about 15,000 years before present), much of northern 

Washington, including the Colville Valley, was covered 

by lobes of the Cordilleran ice sheet (fig. 3). This large 

ice sheet formed in the mountains of British Columbia 

and flowed south, filling valleys and overriding low 

mountain ranges in northern Washington, Idaho, and 

Montana. The Okanogan, Columbia River, Colville, 

and Pend Oreille River lobes of the Cordilleran ice 

sheet covered much of northeastern Washington. The 

Okanogan lobe to the west of the Colville Valley was 

the largest of the lobes and covered what is now the 

northern part of the Waterville Plateau. The Okanogan 

lobe dammed the Columbia River and created a vast 

lake referred to as glacial Lake Columbia (Waitt and 

Thorson, 1983), which deposited thick, fine-grained 

sediments throughout much of the region. This longlived lake had a number of important stands, including 

two stands with lake levels reaching approximate 

altitudes of 1,700 and 2,400 ft. 

As the Colville lobe advanced southward into the 

Colville Valley, large areas of outwash sands and 

gravels were deposited from glacial melt water, till was 

deposited beneath the ice, and fine-grained sediments 

were deposited as the lobe advanced into glacial Lake 

Columbia (Waitt and Thorson, 1983). The southern 

limit of the Colville lobe is marked by a welldeveloped terminal moraine near the town of 

Springdale, referred to as the Springdale moraine 

(Flint, 1936, Carrara and others, 1996). Stratigraphic 

evidence indicates that the glacial maximum of the 

Colville lobe, represented by the Springdale moraine, is 

younger than the Okanogan lobe ice dam that 

impounded high stands of glacial Lake Columbia 

(Richmond, 1986). As the Colville lobe wasted, a 

smaller lake developed within the Colville Valley 

behind the present position of the Springdale moraine. 

The lake drained south from the vicinity of Springdale, 

creating a large outwash plain in the upper Chamokane 

Creek area. Later, the lake surface declined and became 

confluent with a northern extension of a late stand of 

glacial Lake Columbia. 
8 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington Purcell Trench Lobe 124° 124° 122° 122° 120° 120° 118°118° 116°116° 114° 114° 45° 45° 47° 47° 49° 49° 0 60 120 MILES 0 75 150 KILOMETERS IDAHO OREGON CANADA U.S.A. MONTANA Glacial Lake Columbia Glacial Lake Missoula Columbia River Lobe Colville Lobe Pend Oreille River Lobe CORDILLERAN ICE SHEET Puget Lobe Okanogan Lobe

River

Snake

Clark Fork River

River

WASHINGTON

Co ul mb ai

Columbia

R vi er

GLACIAL ICEGLACIAL LAKES COLUMBIA AND MISSOULAAREA INUNDATED BY GLACIAL LAKE MISSOULA FLOODSCOLVILLE RIVER WATERSHEDINTERNATIONAL BOUNDARYSTATE BOUNDARY

EXPLANATION

Figure 3. Extent of glacial ice and glacial lakes in northern Washington, Idaho, and part of Montana. (Modified from Allen and Burns, 1986, and Atwater, 1986).
Hydrogeologic Framework 9

Although most of the surficial unconsolidated 

deposits in the study area are the result of glacial 

processes involving the Colville and Okanogan lobes, 

the Purcell Trench lobe, in what is now northern Idaho, 

also contributed directly to sedimentation in the 

southern part of the Colville Basin. Glacial Lake 

Missoula, dammed behind the Purcell Trench Lobe 

(fig. 3), was about 600 mi3 in volume and reached a 

maximum depth of 2,200 ft (Waitt, 1980). Large 

catastrophic floods occurred periodically when the ice 

dam of the Purcell Trench lobe failed, sending 

floodwaters west and southwest. Giant current dunes 

north of Loon Lake record floodwaters exiting 

westward through the Sheep Creek spillway into the 

Colville Valley near Springdale (Carrara and others, 

1995). Stratigraphic evidence suggests that the 

Missoula flood outwash near Loon Lake was deposited 

before the Springdale moraine (Kiver and Stradling, 

1982).

Following the glacial activity in the Colville 

Basin, the valley floor was slightly modified as streams 

reworked the surficial lake sediments to form a flood 

plain of variable width. The modern northward flow of 

the Colville River is the result of the outwash and 

moraine divide at Springdale. The present day Colville 

River is a classic example of an underfit stream, a 

stream too small to have eroded the valley through 

which it flows. The preglacial Columbia River that 

likely flowed southward through the present-day 

Colville and Chamokane Valleys, the effects of the 

Colville lobe, and the earlier structural history of the 

region including faulting are responsible for the general 

morphology of the basin.

The surficial geology of the Colville Basin 

consists of seven geologic units that are described 

below and are shown on a surficial geologic map 

compiled for this investigation (pl. 1). The surficial 

geology was compiled from existing maps including 

the surficial geologic map of the Chewelah 30' × 60' 

quadrangle (Carrara and others, 1995), the geologic 

map of Washington northeast quadrant (Stoffel and 

others, 1991), and the Soil Survey of Stevens County 

(U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1982, 1991). In some 

areas, modifications were made to existing maps based 

on stratigraphic evidence obtained during this 

investigation, primarily drillers' logs for field-located 

water wells. 

Alluvial deposits (Qal): Includes channel and 

overbank deposits in the modern Colville River and 

tributary flood plains and alluvial-fan deposits at the 

mouths of streams tributary to the Colville River. The 

unit consists mostly of stratified silt, sand, gravel, and 

minor amounts of clay deposited by flowing water. 

Thickness of the unit is generally from 1 to 30 ft.

Glaciofluvial deposits (Qgf): Includes mostly 

stratified and well-sorted sand-and-gravel outwash 

deposited by glacial meltwater and other glaciofluvial 

deposits, including well-stratified and well-sorted 

sand-and-gravel kame moraines deposited by the 

retreating Colville lobe (near the valley floor at Blue 

Creek and Twelve Mile Creek) and glacial-outburst 

flood deposits consisting of mostly stratified sand, 

gravel, and boulders (north side of Loon Lake). 

Although most of the Qgf is coarse-grained outwash, 

lenses of silt, clay, and till occur locally. The thickness 

of the unit generally is from 20 to 300 ft.

Glacial till (Qti): Includes mostly unsorted and 

unstratified clay, silt, sand, and gravel deposited by the 

Colville lobe. The unit overlies much of the areas of 

higher altitude in the basin and locally may contain till 

from previous glaciations. Near Springdale, the unit 

includes the terminal moraine of the Colville lobe. 

Locally, the unit contains stratified sand and gravel. 

Thickness of the unit generally is from 10 to 100 ft. 

Glaciolacustrine deposits (Qla): Includes mostly 

clay and silt lake sediments deposited in ice-marginal 

lakes. The unit underlies large areas of the Colville 

Valley, but is overlain by Quaternary alluvial deposits 

(Qal) in many areas. The unit includes thin and 

discontinuous beds of sand and gravel. Overall 

thickness of the unit generally is 20 to 300 ft.

Mass-wasting deposits (Qmw): Includes poorly 

sorted angular rock fragments deposited as talus at the 

base of steep slopes and heterogeneous mixtures of 

unconsolidated surficial material and rock fragments 

deposited by landslides. Thickness of the unit varies, 

but usually is less than 100 ft.

Organic deposits (Qor): Includes peat, woody 

peat, muck, and organic-rich silt and clay that 

commonly occur in closed depressions. Thickness of 

the unit is from 1 to 30 ft.
10 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Bedrock (Tertiary to Middle Proterozoic) (Tybr): 

Includes sedimentary, metasedimentary, and intrusive 

and extrusive igneous rocks. Specific rock types 

include conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, shale, 

quartzite, dolomite, argillite, granite, and basalt. The 

unit is exposed in much of the higher-altitude areas of 

the basin where it is not overlain by till (Qti). The depth 

to bedrock in the Colville Valley beneath the 

unconsolidated sediments is largely unknown and 

likely varies considerably. In Addy, a depth to bedrock 

of near 663 ft was recorded in well 33N/39E-13F01. 

Based on information from other wells, the depth to 

bedrock along most of the central part of the Colville 

Valley is at least 300 ft. 

Hydrogeologic Units

The surficial geologic units described previously 

and the deposits at depth were differentiated into 

aquifers and confining beds on the basis of areal extent 

and general water-bearing characteristics. An aquifer is 

saturated geologic material that is sufficiently 

permeable to yield water in significant quantities to a 

well or spring, whereas a confining bed has lower 

permeability that restricts the movement of ground 

water and limits the usefulness of the unit as a source 

of ground water. Generally, well-sorted, coarse-grained 

deposits have higher permeabilities than do finegrained or poorly sorted deposits. In the Colville River 

Basin, saturated glacial outwash or other coarsegrained deposits form the aquifers, whereas deposits 

such as till or glaciolacustrine deposits form the 

confining beds. The aquifers and confining beds 

identified herein are referred to as hydrogeologic units 

because the differentiation takes into account both the 

geologic and hydraulic characteristics of the units. 

Seven hydrogeologic units were identified in the study 

area:

• Upper outwash aquifer (UA);

• Till confining unit (TC);

• Older outwash aquifer (OA);

• Colville Valley confining unit (VC);

• Lower aquifer (LA);

• Lower confining unit (LC); and

• Bedrock (BR).

Although there are thin and discontinuous 

aquifer materials, mostly Qal, on the Colville Valley 

floor, they aren't recognized in this study as a primary 

aquifer because of their limited extent and thickness. 

These deposits do, however, yield usable amounts of 

water, mostly to older, shallow dug wells, only a few of 

which were inventoried during this study. A simplified 

conceptual model of the hydrologic system of the 

Colville River Watershed is presented in figure 4. 

The lithologic and hydrologic characteristics of 

the hydrogeologic units are summarized in a chart that 

includes the range of thicknesses for each unit, based 

on data from the inventoried wells, and the number of 

inventoried wells open to each unit (fig. 5). Wells open 

to more than one unit are not included in the chart but 

are indicated in table 11. The thickness and areal extent 

of the units are shown on eight hydrogeologic sections 

and exhibit considerable variation (pl. 1). There were 

adequate data to map the thickness and extent of the 

Upper outwash aquifer and the Colville Valley 

confining unit, but thickness data for the Till confining 

unit, the Older outwash aquifer, the Lower aquifer, and 

the Lower confining unit were too sparse over the study 

area to be mapped. The hydrogeologic units are 

commonly heterogeneous and locally discontinuous, 

therefore correlations are tentative in many places. 

Along much of the Colville Valley floor, the depth to 

bedrock, and therefore the total thickness of the 

unconsolidated deposits, is not known. In general, the 

deeper the units, the less certain are the correlations. 

The thickness data of hydrogeologic units for studyarea wells are shown in table 12 (at back of report).

The Upper outwash aquifer (UA) is a 

discontinuous but productive and widely used aquifer. 

It is composed mostly of glacial outwash sand and 

gravel (geologic unit Qgf) with lenses of clay and till 

occurring locally (geologic unit Qti) and some sandy 

alluvium along stream channels (geologic unit Qal).
Hydrogeologic Framework 11

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

WEST EAST

EVAPORATION

Colville River

TRANSPIRATION

PRECIPITATION

Surface runoff INFILTRATION

Colville Valley confining unit

Lower aquifer

Upper outwash aquifer

Bedrock

Bedrock

Upper outwash aquifer

CONDENSATION

CLOUDS

Till confining unit

Till

confining

unit

NOT TO SCALE

Tillconfiningunit

PERMEABLE UNITS INCLUDING SANDAPPROXIMATE DIRECTION OF WATER MOVEMENTWATER TABLE OF UPPER OUTWASH AQUIFERPOTENTIOMETRIC SURFACE OF LOWER AQUIFER

AND GRAVEL OUTWASH

LESS PERMEABLE UNITS INCLUDING

GLACIOLACUSTRINE DEPOSITS AND TILL

EXPLANATION

Figure 4. Simplified conceptual model of hydrologic conditions near the middle of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
12 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

(YDROGEOLOGIC

UNIT

5NIT

LABEL

2ANGEOF

THICKNESS

;ESTIMATED

AVERAGE

THICKNESS=

FEET	

,ITHOLOGICANDHYDROLOGICCHARACTERISTICS

.UMBEROF

INVENTORIED

WELLSOPEN

TOUNIT

5PPEROUTWASH

AQUIFER

5! ±

>@

5NCONlNEDAQUIFERCONSISTINGOFSANDGRAVELCOBBLES

ANDSILTWITHMINORCLAYORTILLINTERBEDS5NITOCCURSIN

MOSTSTREAMVALLEYSANDTERRACESTRIBUTARYTOTHE#OLVILLE

2IVER)NCLUDESGEOLOGICUNITS1GF1ALAND1TI



4ILLCONlNING

UNIT

4# ±

>@

,OW
PERMEABILITYUNITCONSISTINGOFCOMPACTEDAND

POORLYSORTEDCLAYSILTSANDGRAVELANDCOBBLESWITH

LOCALLYOCCURRINGSANDANDGRAVELLENSES)NCLUDES

GEOLOGICUNIT1TI



/LDEROUTWASH

AQUIFER

/! ±

>@

$ISCONTINUOUSCONlNEDAQUIFERCONSISTINGMOSTLYOF

SANDANDGRAVELOUTWASHUNDERLYINGTILLANDOVERLYING

BEDROCK5NITOCCURSINPLACESINTRIBUTARYVALLEYS



#OLVILLE6ALLEY

CONlNINGUNIT

6# ±

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PERMEABILITYUNITCONSISTINGMOSTLYOF

GLACIOLACUSTRINESILTANDCLAYOVERLAININPLACESBYMOSTLY

lNE
GRAINEDSTREAMALLUVIUM5NITOCCURSTHROUGHOUT

THELENGTHOFTHE#OLVILLE6ALLEYANDPARTWAYUPSOME

OFTHETRIBUTARYVALLEYS$ISCONTINUOUSLENSESOFAQUIFER

MATERIALWITHINTHEUNITCONTRIBUTEUSABLEQUANTITIESOF

WATERTOSOMEWELLS)NCLUDESGEOLOGICUNITS1LAAND1AL



,OWERAQUIFER ,! ±

>@

'ENERALLYCONlNEDAQUIFERCONSISTINGMOSTLYOFSANDAND

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BENEATHTHE#OLVILLE6ALLEYCONlNINGUNIT4HEUNITIS

UNCONlNEDWHEREITISNOTFULLYSATURATEDORISEXPOSEDAT

LANDSURFACENEAR+ETTLE&ALLS	4HICKNESSANDEXTENTOF

UNITISNOTWELLKNOWN



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PERMEABILITYUNITCONSISTINGMOSTLYOF

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"EDROCK "2 ± 5NITINCLUDESCONGLOMERATESANDSTONESILTSTONE

SHALEQUARTZITEDOLOMITEARGILLITEGRANITEANDBASALT

,OCALLYYIELDSUSABLEQUANTITIESOFWATERWHEREROCKSARE

FRACTURED9IELDSAREGENERALLYSMALL)NCLUDESGEOLOGIC

UNIT4YBR



Figure 5. Lithologic and hydrologic characteristics of the hydrogeologic units in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
Hydrogeologic Framework 13

The Upper outwash aquifer exists mostly in the stream 

valleys and terraces that are tributary to the Colville 

River (fig. 6). The average thickness of the unit is 

100 ft, and the thickness in inventoried wells ranged 

from 10 to 480 ft. The unit is thickest in tributary 

valleys on the east side of the Colville Valley, greater 

than 300 ft thick in areas along the Little Pend Oreille 

River, in Sand Canyon, along Cottonwood Creek, along 

an unnamed intermittent stream east of Valley, and 

between Deer and Loon Lakes. In places, the unit may 

be greater than 100 ft thick but was mapped as less than 

100 ft thick because of insufficient well data. Of the 

inventoried wells, 114 are open to the Upper outwash 

aquifer, including the public-supply wells for the city 

of Colville. An additional 11 wells are open to the 

aquifer and other hydrogeologic units where the open 

intervals of those wells extend to more than one 

hydrogeologic unit (table 11).

The Till confining unit (TC) is a lowpermeability unit consisting of compacted and poorly 

sorted clay, silt, sand, gravel, and cobbles with locally 

occurring sand-and-gravel lenses. The unit occurs over 

much of the mountainous areas of the study area where 

glacial till (geologic unit Qti) mantles bedrock. The 

estimated average thickness of the unit is 70 ft, and the 

thickness in inventoried wells ranged from 4 to 250 ft. 

Although this is a confining unit, it yields water in 

usable quantities to seven of the inventoried wells. 

There are an additional two wells open to the Till 

confining unit and other hydrogeologic units where 

open intervals of the wells extend to more than one 

hydrogeologic unit (table 11). 

The Older outwash aquifer (OA) is a 

discontinuous confined aquifer consisting of sand-andgravel outwash underlying till (TC) and overlying 

bedrock (BR). It generally occurs in the higher-altitude 

areas of the side basins tributary to the Colville Valley. 

The estimated average thickness of the Older outwash 

aquifer is 20 ft, and the thickness in inventoried wells 

ranged from 2 to 56 ft. None of the hydrogeologic 

sections show this aquifer because of its limited extent. 

Only 13 of the inventoried wells are open to the Older 

outwash aquifer. There are an additional two wells 

open to the aquifer and other hydrogeologic units 

where open intervals of the wells extend to more than 

one hydrogeologic unit (table 11).

The Colville Valley confining unit (VC) is a 

thick, low-permeability unit consisting mostly of 

extensive glaciolacustrine silt and clay (geologic unit 

Qla) with locally occurring sand or gravel lenses 

overlain in places by fine-grained stream alluvium 

(geologic unit Qal). In some areas, glacial till was 

included with this unit where lake sediments are 

directly overlain by till. The confining unit occurs 

throughout the length of Colville and Echo Valleys and 

in parts of some of the tributary valleys, including Mill 

Creek, Little Pend Oreille River, South Fork Chewelah 

Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Jumpoff Joe Creek 

(fig. 7). The estimated average thickness of the Colville 

Valley confining unit is 150 ft, and the thickness in 

inventoried wells ranged from 1 to 570 ft. The greatest 

recorded thickness of the confining unit is more than 

400 ft, in areas near Addy and Kettle Falls (fig. 7). 

Discontinuous lenses of sand or gravel within the unit 

contribute usable quantities of water to 27 of the 

inventoried wells. There are an additional four wells 

open to the Colville Valley confining unit and other 

hydrogeologic units where open intervals of the wells 

extend to more than one hydrogeologic unit (table 11).

The Lower aquifer (LA) consists of sand and 

some gravel and likely is continuous along the length 

of Colville and Echo Valleys (fig. 8). It occurs below 

the Colville Valley confining unit and above the Lower 

confining unit or Bedrock (pl.1). The unit also is 

mapped in two small places, near Jumpoff Joe Lake 

and Cottonwood and South Fork Chewelah Creeks, 

where it does not appear to be connected with the 

Lower aquifer in the Colville Valley floor (fig. 8). In 

most of the study area, the Lower aquifer is confined 

and many wells completed in this unit flow at land 

surface. Near the mouth of the watershed, however, the 

aquifer becomes unconfined where it is not fully 

saturated and is exposed at land surface along the 

Colville River downstream from Meyers Falls (pl. 1, 

hydrogeologic section F-F', wells 36N/38E-30K01, 

30K05, and 30K06). Based on drillers' records, the 

estimated average thickness of the unit is 60 ft. This 

may be an underestimate of thickness, however, 

because few wells actually penetrate the total thickness 

of the unit. Eighty-seven of the inventoried wells are 

open to the Lower aquifer, including the public-supply 

wells for the cities of Chewelah and Kettle Falls. There 

are an additional five wells open to the Lower aquifer 

and other hydrogeologic units where the wells are 

completed in more than one hydrogeologic unit 

(table 11). Based on available drilling records and 

water levels, parts of the Lower aquifer extend to the 

mouth of the watershed and discharge into Lake 

Roosevelt, probably diverging around a bedrock high 

near Meyers Falls — to the north beneath Kettle Falls 

and to the south beneath the present drainage of the 

Colville River (fig. 8; pl. 1, section F-F'). 
14 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Clugston Creek

Mill Creek

Gold

Creek

Ha ller Creek

Stranger Creek

Stensgar Creek

Blue

Dry Creek

Huckleberry

Creek

Waitts

Lake

Wa itts

Deer Creek

Deer

Lake

Loon

Lake

Sh ee p

Creek

Grou se Creek

Jumpoff

Joe

Lake

Cottonwood C re ek

Sherwood Creek

Thomason Creek

South Fork Mill C reek

North Fork Mill Cr eek

Little Pend Oreille R iver

Add y Cr eek

South For k Chewela h Creek

North Fork Chewelah Creek

Pa y e

Creek

Lake

Thomas

Creek

Creek

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Colville

River

Colville

River

JoeCr. Jumpoff Bull d og Cr.

118° 117°30'

48°

30'

T

37

N

T

36

N

T

35

N

T

34

N

T

33

N

T

32

N

T

31

N

R 38 E R 39 E R 40 E R 41 E R 42 E

T

30

N

48°

T

29

N

Less than or equal to 100

EXPLANATION

101 - 200

201 - 300

301 - 480

THICKNESS OF UPPER OUTWASH

AQUIFER (UA), IN FEET

Kettle

Falls

Colville

Chewelah

Springdale

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

5

0 10 MILES

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER

WATERSHED

Loon Lake

Arden

Addy

Mingo

Mountain

Dunn

Mountain

Mountain

Huckleberry

Old Dominion

Mountain

Roundtop

Mountain

Mountain Chewelah

Little

Calispell

Peak

Echo

Valley

Sand

Canyon

Figure 6. Thickness and areal extent of the Upper outwash aquifer in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
Hydrogeologic Framework 15

AREAL EXTENT AT LAND SURFACE—

Dashed where inferred below

land surface

Clugston Creek

Mill Creek

Gold

Creek

Ha ller Creek

Stranger Creek

Stensgar Creek

Dry Creek

Huckleberry

Creek

Waitts

Lake

Wa itts

Deer Creek

Deer

Lake

Loon

Lake

Sh ee p

Creek

Grou se Creek

Jumpoff

Joe

Lake

Cottonwood C re ek

Sherwood Creek

Thomason Creek

South Fork Mill C reek

North Fork Mill Cr eek

Little Pend Oreille R iver

Add y Cr eek

South For k Chewela h Creek

North Fork Chewelah Creek

Pa y e

Creek

Lake

Thomas

Creek

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Colville

River

Colville

River

Blue

Creek

JoeCr. Jumpoff Bull d og Cr.

118° 117°30'

48°

30'

T

37

N

T

36

N

T

35

N

T

34

N

T

33

N

T

32

N

T

31

N

R 38 E R 39 E R 40 E R 41 E R 42 E

T

30

N

48°

T

29

N

Less than or equal to 200

EXPLANATION

201 - 400

401 - 570

THICKNESS OF COLVILLE VALLEY

CONFINING UNIT (VC), IN FEET

Kettle

Falls

Colville

Chewelah

Springdale

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER

WATERSHED

Loon Lake

Arden

Addy

Mingo

Mountain

Dunn

Mountain

Mountain

Huckleberry

Old Dominion Mountain

Roundtop

Mountain

Mountain Chewelah

Little

Calispell

Peak

Echo

Valley

Sand Canyon

Figure 7. Thickness and areal extent of the Colville Valley confining unit in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
16 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

118° 117°30'

48°

30'

T

37

N

T

36

N

T

35

N

T

34

N

T

33

N

T

32

N

T

31

N

R 38 E R 39 E R 40 E R 41 E R 42 E

T

30

N

48°

T

29

N

Kettle

Falls

Colville

Chewelah

Springdale

Loon Lake

Arden

Addy

EXPLANATION

AREA WHERE LOWER AQUIFER (LA)

IS MAPPED

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER

WATERSHED

WATER-LEVEL CONTOUR—Shows

altitude of water level in Lower

Aquifer, autumn 2001. Contour

interval, in feet, is variable.

Datum is NGVD of 1929.

APPROXIMATE DIRECTION OF

GROUND-WATER FLOW

1300

1300

1500

1400

1550

1600

1650

1700

1800

Clugston Creek

Mill Creek

Gold

Creek

Ha ller Creek

Stranger Creek

Stensgar Creek

Dry Creek

Huckleberry

Creek

Waitts

Lake

Wa itts

Deer Creek

Deer

Lake

Loon

Lake

Sh ee p

Creek

Grou se Creek

Jumpoff

Joe

Lake

Cottonwood C re ek

Sherwood Creek

Thomason Creek

South Fork Mill C reek

North Fork Mill Cr eek

Little Pend Oreille R iver

Add y Cr eek

South For k Chewela h Creek

North Fork Chewelah Creek

Pa y e

Creek

Lake

Thomas

Creek

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Colville

River

Colville River

Blue

Creek

JoeCr. Jumpoff Bull d og Cr.

Mingo

Mountain

Dunn

Mountain

Mountain

Huckleberry

Old Dominion

Mountain

Roundtop

Mountain

Mountain Chewelah

Little

Calispell

Peak

Echo

Valley

Sand

Canyon

Figure 8. Areal extent, water-level altitudes, and inferred directions of ground-water flow in the Lower aquifer in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens 

County, Washington.
Hydrogeologic Framework 17

The Lower confining unit (LC) is a lowpermeability unit consisting mostly of glaciolacustrine 

silt and clay, with glacial till in places. The unit 

underlies the Lower aquifer and overlies Bedrock. This 

deep unit was only noted in drillers' logs from 10 of the 

inventoried wells and none of the wells are open to the 

unit. The average thickness of the unit is generally 

unknown, but the thickness ranges from 1 to 454 ft in 

10 of the inventoried wells.

The Bedrock (BR) underlies all of the previously 

described hydrogeologic units at depths as great as 600 

ft along the Colville Valley. However, in most of the 

watershed, bedrock occurs at or near land surface, and 

is the only source of ground water for landowners who 

live in those areas. Bedrock typically has very low 

permeabilities, except where it has been fractured by 

folding and faulting. These fractures produce small but 

usable quantities of water in 79 of the inventoried 

wells. An additional 16 wells are open to the Bedrock 

and other hydrogeologic units where wells are 

completed in more than one hydrogeologic unit 

(table 11).

Hydraulic Properties

Hydraulic conductivity is a measure of a 

material's ability to transmit water, and in 

unconsolidated sediment is dependent on the size, 

shape, distribution, and packing of the particles. 

Because these characteristics vary greatly within each 

hydrogeologic unit, hydraulic conductivity values also 

vary greatly.

Horizontal hydraulic conductivity was estimated 

for the hydrogeologic units using drawdowns from 

drillers' logs that were observed after pumping wells 

for periods that ranged from 1 to 100 hours. Only data 

from those wells that had a driller's log containing 

discharge rate, time of pumping, drawdown, static 

water level, well-construction data, and lithologic log 

were used.

Two different sets of equations were used to 

estimate hydraulic conductivity, depending on well 

construction. For data from wells with a screened or 

perforated interval, the modified Theis equation (Ferris 

and others, 1962) was first used to estimate 

transmissivity of the pumped interval. Transmissivity is 

the product of horizontal hydraulic conductivity and 

thickness of the part of the hydrogeologic unit 

supplying water to the well. The modified equation is

(1)

where

Assumptions for using equation 1 are that 

aquifers are homogeneous, isotropic, and infinite in 

extent; wells are fully penetrating; flow to the well is 

horizontal; and water is released from storage 

instantaneously. Additionally, for unconfined aquifers, 

drawdown is assumed to be small in relation to the 

saturated thickness of the aquifer. Although many of 

the assumptions are not precisely met, the field 

conditions in the study area approximate most of the 

assumptions and the calculated hydraulic 

conductivities are reasonable estimates.

A computer program was used to solve 

equation 1 for transmissivity (T) using Newton's 

iterative method (Carnahan and others, 1969). The 

difference in computed transmissivity between using 

0.1 and 0.0001 for the storage coeffecient is a factor of 

only about 2. Next, the following equation was used to 

calculate horizontal hydraulic conductivity:

(2)

where

s = drawdown in the well, in feet;

Q = discharge, or pumping rate, of the well, in 

cubic feet per day;

T = transmissivity of the hydrogeologic unit, in 

square feet per day;

t = length of time the well was pumped, in 

days;

r = radius of the well, in feet; and

S = storage coefficient, a dimensionless 

number, assumed to be 0.0001 for confined 

units and 0.1 for unconfined units. 

Kh = horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the 

geologic material in the vicinity of the 

well opening, in feet per day; and

b = thickness, in feet, approximated using the 

length of the open interval as reported in 

the driller's report.

s Q

4πT ---------ln2.25Tt

r

2

S

= ---------------

Kh

T

b = --
18 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

The use of the length of a well's open interval for 

b may overestimate values of Kh because the equations 

assume that all the water flows horizontally within a 

layer of this thickness. Although some of the flow will 

be outside this region, the amount can be expected to 

be small because in most sedimentary deposits, vertical 

flow is inhibited by layering.

For data from wells having only an open end, a 

second equation was used to estimate hydraulic 

conductivities. Bear (1979) provides an equation for 

hemispherical flow to an open-ended well just 

penetrating a hydrogeologic unit. When modified for 

spherical flow to an open-ended well within a unit, the 

equation becomes

(3)

Equation 3 is based on the assumption that 

horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities are 

equal, which is not likely for the deposits within the 

study area. The result of violating this assumption 

probably is an underestimate of Kh by an unknown 

amount.

Horizontal hydraulic conductivities were 

calculated with data from those wells for which the 

data were available, and statistical summaries were 

prepared by hydrogeologic unit (table 1). Data were 

unavailable for the Lower confining unit. The median 

values of estimated hydraulic conductivities for the 

aquifers are similar in magnitude to values reported by 

Freeze and Cherry (1979) for similar materials: Upper 

outwash aquifer, 84 ft/d; Older outwash aquifer, 270 

ft/d; and Lower aquifer, 49 ft/d (table 1). The medians 

of estimated hydraulic conductivities for the Till 

confining unit (5.6 ft/d), the Colville Valley confining 

unit (110 ft/d), and the Bedrock (1.3 ft/d) are higher 

than is typical for most of the material in these units 

because data for confining units usually are from zones 

where lenses of coarse material exist and, in the case of 

bedrock, where fractures exist. As a result, the data are 

biased toward the more productive zones in these units 

and are not representative of the entire unit. The 

minimum hydraulic conductivities for the 

hydrogeologic units illustrate that there are zones of 

low hydraulic conductivity in most units. Also, the 

range of hydraulic conductivities is at least three orders 

of magnitude for most units, indicating a substantial 

amount of heterogeneity.

Ground-Water Flow Directions

To estimate directions of horizontal groundwater flow, water-level maps were drawn for the Upper 

outwash aquifer (UA) and the Lower aquifer (LA). 

Contours of water-level altitudes were drawn only 

where the aquifers are continuous. The directions of 

flow were inferred to be from higher to lower water 

levels and perpendicular to water-level contours where 

data were sufficient to draw contours. Ground-water 

levels measured during the well inventory (autumn of 

2001) were used to construct the maps of hydraulic 

head, or altitude of water level.

Horizontal ground-water flow in the Upper 

outwash aquifer generally mimics the surface-water 

drainage pattern of the watershed where the unit 

occurs. Ground-water flow moves from the 

topographically high tributary-basin areas toward the 

topographically lower Colville Valley floor (fig. 9).

Kh

Q

4πsr = -----------

Table 1. Summary of estimated horizontal hydraulic conductivities of selected hydrogeologic units in the Colville River 

Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[–, not determined]

Hydrogeologic unit Number of 

wells

Hydraulic conductivity (feet per day)

Minimum Median Maximum

Upper outwash aquifer (UA) 24 1.9 84 2,400

Till confining unit (TC) 4 2.5 5.6 28

Older outwash aquifer (OA) 1 – 270 –

Colville Valley confining unit (VC) 8 14 110 930

Lower aquifer (LA) 17 1.1 49 15,000

Bedrock (BR) 3 .0011 1.3 4.4
Hydrogeologic Framework 19

EXPLANATION

AREA WHERE UPPER AQUIFER (UA)

IS MAPPED

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER

WATERSHED

DIRECTION OF GROUND-WATER

FLOW—Dashed where

approximately located

118° 117°30'

48°

30'

T

37

N

T

36

N

T

35

N

T

34

N

T

33

N

T

32

N

T

31

N

R 38 E R 39 E R 40 E R 41 E R 42 E

T

30

N

48°

T

29

N

Kettle

Falls

Colville

Chewelah

Springdale

Loon Lake

Arden

Addy

Clugston Creek

Mill Creek

Gold

Creek

Ha ller Creek

Stranger Creek

Stensgar Creek

Dry Creek

Huckleberry

Creek

Waitts

Lake

Wa itts

Deer Creek

Deer

Lake

Loon

Lake

Sh ee p

Creek

Grou se Creek

Jumpoff

Joe

Lake

Cottonwood C re ek

Sherwood Creek

Thomason Creek

South Fork Mill C reek

North Fork Mill Cr eek

Little Pend Oreille R iver

Add y Cr eek

South For k Chewela h Creek

North Fork Chewelah Creek

Pa y e

Creek

Lake

Thomas

Creek

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Colville

River

Colville

River

Blue

Creek

JoeCr. Jumpoff Bull d og Cr.

Mingo

Mountain

Dunn

Mountain

Mountain

Huckleberry

Old Dominion

Mountain

Roundtop

Mountain

Mountain Chewelah

Little

Calispell

Peak

Echo

Valley

Sand

Canyon

Figure 9. Inferred directions of ground-water flow in the Upper outwash aquifer in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
20 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Water-level contours were not drawn for the 

Upper outwash aquifer because of the discontinuous 

nature of the unit. Over the entire watershed, waterlevel altitudes in the Upper outwash aquifer range from 

3,149 ft near Lake Thomas to 1,569 ft near Colville. 

The general distribution of horizontal gradients was 60 

ft/mi between Loon Lake and Springdale, 100 ft/mi 

northeast of Jumpoff Joe Lake westward to Valley, 90 

ft/mi in Sand Canyon, 70 ft/mi in the Little Pend 

Oreille River drainage, and 90 ft/mi in the terrace east 

of Colville. The smallest gradient in the Upper outwash 

aquifer, 20 ft/mi, occurred in the area between Deer 

and Loon Lakes. Most of the larger lakes in the 

watershed, including Deer, Loon, Jumpoff Joe, Waitts, 

and the Little Pend Oreille lakes, are fairly well 

connected with the Upper outwash aquifer, and 

although not determined during this study, their lake 

levels likely rise and decline with the water table of the 

aquifer. Vertical head gradients in the Upper outwash 

aquifer in most of the higher altitude tributary-basin 

areas are downward. Localized upward head gradients 

occur in a few places in the study area, and are 

indicated by flowing wells 30N/39E-01G01, 35N/39E11R05, and 35N/39E-18A01.

Recharge to the Upper outwash aquifer occurs 

over its extent as direct precipitation in the form of rain 

and snow, as seepage along the downstream areas of 

lakes that are within the aquifer, and along losing 

stream reaches where streams flow directly over the 

aquifer and lose water to it. Discharge from the aquifer 

occurs near the mouth of each tributary basin as the 

aquifer unit generally ends near the Colville Valley 

floor. Discharge also occurs as seepage along the 

upstream areas of lakes, and as pumping to wells.

Horizontal ground-water flow in the Lower 

aquifer from near Springdale to Chewelah is toward the 

north, from Chewelah to Colville to the northnorthwest, and from Colville to Kettle Falls to the 

northwest (fig. 8). In Echo Valley, ground-water flow is 

south toward the Colville Valley. At the outlet of the 

Colville River Basin, near Kettle Falls, ground-water 

flow directions are less certain, but likely diverge 

around the bedrock high near Meyers Falls, with flow 

going both toward the southwest along the present 

Colville River drainage and to the northwest toward the 

Marcus Flats area of Lake Roosevelt (fig. 8). Along the 

valley floor, water-level altitudes within the Lower 

aquifer range from 1,895 ft near Springdale to 1,284 ft 

near Kettle Falls. Also on the valley floor, many wells 

within the unit flow at land surface from 3 mi north of 

Springdale to the confluence of Colville and Echo 

Valleys, indicating upward ground-water gradients in 

those areas. Horizontal gradients are 20 ft/mi from 

Springdale to Valley, 7 ft/mi from Valley to Chewelah, 

and 5 ft/mi from Chewelah to Colville. Between 

Colville and Kettle Falls, however, the gradients 

become much greater and range from 60 to 200 ft/mi.

The ground-water divide for the Lower aquifer is 

uncertain, but may be near the surface-water divide for 

the basin, near Springdale. Additional work would be 

needed to determine the location of the ground-water 

divide, as well as the presence or absence of the Lower 

aquifer to the south of WRIA 59. This could be 

attempted by field-locating deep wells south of the 

basin in the Chamokane Creek area, by examining 

drillers' records for wells completed in the Lower 

aquifer, and by examining water levels in those wells to 

determine directions of ground-water flow and 

ultimately define the location of the ground-water 

divide.

Recharge to the Lower aquifer likely occurs in 

several areas. Water-level data indicate that recharge 

occurs from the southern extent of the watershed to 

about 3 mi north of Springdale where vertical head 

gradients generally are downward. A similar recharge 

area probably also exists at the head of Echo Valley, but 

no data were available to confirm this. Localized 

recharge also may occur along the walls of the Colville 

Valley where coarse talus slopes or glacial or alluvial 

outwash fans overlie and possibly interfinger with the 

otherwise continuous Colville Valley confining unit. 

Beyond the area 3 mi north of Springdale, 

downgradient and down-valley, many wells in the 

Lower aquifer flow at land surface, indicating upward 

vertical gradients that are, therefore, points of 

discharge for the aquifer. Discharge at the lower end of 

the basin, near Kettle Falls, is uncertain, but is likely 

through subareal flow into Lake Roosevelt near the 

mouth of the Colville River and near the Marcus Flats 

area of Lake Roosevelt. The upward vertical head 

gradients referred to previously indicate that in some 

areas along the Colville Valley, ground water may 

move upward from the Lower aquifer, through the 

overlying Colville Valley confining unit, and eventually 

discharge to surface-water features such as the Colville 

River. The Lower aquifer also discharges water to 

pumping wells. 
Hydrogeologic Framework 21

Directions of vertical flow were inferred from 

water-level altitudes in the Upper outwash aquifer and 

the Lower aquifer in the few places where the units 

overlie one another and from the location of flowing 

wells. Water-level altitudes in closely spaced wells also 

were reviewed to assess if vertical gradients could be 

determined. In wells 34N/39E-25M01 and 25M02, the 

difference in water levels was more than 80 ft, with a 

downward gradient from the Upper outwash aquifer to 

the underlying Bedrock. In wells 33N/39E-23A01 and 

23A02, water levels were essentially the same and 

there is no obvious vertical gradient. In wells 33N/40E35P01 and 35P02, water-level differences were within 

the measurement error of determining water-level 

altitudes, and therefore were not useful in determining 

vertical gradients. Based on available water-level data, 

vertical flow in the basin generally is downward in the 

high-altitude areas of the side basins, downward on the 

valley floor from near Springdale to near the mouth of 

Sheep Creek, then upward along much of the valley 

floor (indicated by flowing wells) until near Colville, 

where vertical gradients change to downward again as 

far as the mouth of the watershed at Lake Roosevelt. 

Ground-Water Level Fluctuations

In spring of May 2002, water levels were 

measured in 121 of the previously inventoried wells in 

order to determine the approximate seasonal 

fluctuation of water levels within the watershed from 

autumn to spring. The spring water levels were 

compared with the autumn water levels measured 

during the inventory, September-November 2001. 

Comparisons were made only when both water levels 

were reported as being static; that is, not pumping or 

not recently pumped. Only 73 wells have spring and 

autumn water levels that were static (table 11). For 

those 73 wells, the difference in water levels ranged 

from a decline of 12.79 ft in well 36N/38E-29J01 to a 

rise of 12.31 ft in wells 32N/40E-28G01D1 and 

35N/39E-18A01. Most of the wells (82 percent) 

showed a rise in water level, with a median rise of 2.36 

ft in 60 wells. The median decline in water level (13 

wells) was 0.5 ft. The median rise in water level for the 

Upper aquifer unit was 1.94 ft (24 wells) and for the 

Lower aquifer unit 2.39 ft (17 wells). Although this 

comparison is useful for estimating the average gain in 

water levels from autumn to spring, a more thorough 

evaluation of seasonal water-level changes would 

require a long-term monthly network that would track 

both seasonal and long-term changes in the different 

hydrogeologic units. 

Ground-Water Development and Storage

One objective of the study was to evaluate if 

there are previously unused sources of ground water 

whose use may have minimal impact on closed streams 

and to evaluate if there are hydrogeologic units that 

could be explored in the future for possible use of 

aquifer storage and recovery. The descriptions of the 

hydrogeologic units in the previous sections indicate 

two possible candidates for further consideration and 

exploration: the Upper outwash aquifer (UA) and the 

Lower aquifer (LA). 

The Upper outwash aquifer, although 

discontinuous in nature, may be extensive enough in 

places to yield moderate quantities of ground water to 

additional production wells. At the time of this study, 

this aquifer supplies water to many of the production 

wells for the cities of Colville, Chewelah (Sand 

Canyon area), Springdale, and the Public Utility 

District No. 1 of Stevens County (Deer, Jumpoff Joe, 

and Loon Lakes and Valley). Site-specific studies 

including test drilling and ground-water flow modeling 

would be helpful in determining the appropriateness of 

certain areas for development and the effect on surface 

water. 

The Lower aquifer is another candidate for 

further exploration as a source for additional pumping. 

This unit currently provides ground water to high-yield 

production wells for the cities of Chewelah and Kettle 

Falls, Northwest Alloys in Addy, and a few farming or 

irrigation wells. Additional high-yield areas probably 

exist within the Lower aquifer. The upward vertical 

head gradients and thick confining unit over much of 

the Lower aquifer indicate that pumping may at least 

have a delayed, if not small, effect on the Colville River 

in places. Long-term monitoring of water levels in 

Lower aquifer wells, coupled with pumping records, 

would aid in evaluating the effects of existing pumping 

from the unit. The effects of additional pumping 

centers within the Lower aquifer on the Colville River 

could be evaluated with a ground-water flow model. 
22 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Test drilling, water-quality testing, and ground-water 

flow modeling would aid in evaluating the suitability of 

various locations for further development.

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) involves 

injecting water into an aquifer through wells or by 

surface spreading and infiltration, and then pumping it 

out when needed. The aquifer essentially functions as a 

water bank. Deposits are made in times of surplus, 

typically during the rainy season, and withdrawals 

occur when available water falls short of demand 

(Washington Department of Ecology, accessed 

November 14, 2002). In WRIA 59, excess spring 

runoff (snowmelt) that generally occurs in April may 

be available for storage. The Upper outwash aquifer 

and the Lower aquifer may support some level of ASR, 

but additional site-specific studies would be required to 

make that determination. The water storage and 

recovery requirements within the watershed would 

need to be evaluated in conjunction with an evaluation 

of possible sites with the appropriate hydrogeologic 

conditions for a favorable ASR project. The 

hydrogeologic interpretations from this study would 

provide much of the initial hydrogeologic information 

required for such a project. Further considerations and 

requirements for ASR applications include addressing 

aquifer vulnerability, potential impairment of existing 

water rights, chemical compatibility of surface and 

ground waters, recharge and recovery treatment 

requirements, system operation, water rights and 

ownership of water stored for recovery, and 

environmental impacts (Washington Department of 

Ecology, accessed November 14, 2002). 

GROUND- AND SURFACE-WATER 

INTERACTIONS

In order to describe the dynamics of the groundand surface-water interactions in the watershed, 

streamflow measurements were made to identity 

stream reaches that either gain flow from or lose flow 

to the shallow ground-water system. The interactions 

between the deep and shallow aquifers in the watershed 

are described using the water-level maps described 

previously, data from closely spaced wells completed 

in different hydrogeologic units, and streamflow data 

presented in the following section.

Streamflow

Historical streamflow records are available for 

one active USGS streamflow-gaging station 

(12409000, Colville River at Kettle Falls, Washington) 

and nine discontinued stations in the Colville River 

Watershed (table 2). Mean annual discharge for the 

Colville River at Kettle Falls for 1923-2001 is 309 ft3/s. 

Snowmelt is the primary source of runoff in the 

watershed, with rainfall being of secondary 

importance, often contributing to peak flows as rainon-snow events. There is no glacial storage in the 

basin, and the annual snowpack is entirely melted by 

mid-July. The mean daily discharge of the Colville 

River at Kettle Falls (fig. 10) typically reaches its low 

point by early August and remains low until early 

October, when autumn rains and decreased irrigation

Table 2. Continuous-record stream-gaging stations in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[Map No.: Location of measurement sites are shown on figure 11. Water year: Period from October 1 through 

September 30, designated by the year in which it ends]

Map No.

(see fig. 11) Station No. Station name Period of record 

(water years)

A 12407000 Sheep Creek at Loon Lake 1950-59

B 12407500 Sheep Creek at Springdale 1953-72

C 12407520 Deer Creek near Valley 1959-72

D 12407700 Chewelah Creek at Chewelah 1957-74

E 12408000 Colville River at Blue Creek 1923-24; 1960-66; 1979

F 12408300 Little Pend Oreille River near Colville 1958-75

G 12408420 Haller Creek near Arden 1959-70

H 12408500 Mill Creek near Colville 1939-72; 1977-86

I 12408700 Mill Creek at mouth, near Colville 1959-65

J 12409000 Colville River at Kettle Falls 1923-present
Ground- and Surface-Water Interactions 23

withdrawals produce a modest rebound. The three 

largest tributaries by drainage area and runoff volume 

(Chewelah Creek, Mill Creek, and the Little Pend 

Oreille River) originate in a range of mountains that 

define the northeastern-eastern boundary of the 

drainage basin. The mountains in the western portion 

of the basin tend to be of lower altitude and somewhat 

drier. 

Synoptic discharge measurements were made at 

51 sites along the Colville River and its tributaries to 

quantify the surface water reaching the Colville Valley 

floor and to identify gaining and losing reaches over 

the unconsolidated valley deposits. This information 

was used to assist in developing a surface-water budget 

for the critical mid-July to mid-October dry season for 

the Colville River Watershed. A total of 78 discharge 

measurements plus three observations of no flow were 

made during the study (table 3). Some of these 

measurements were made at active or discontinued 

stream-gaging station locations, but most of them were 

made at sites that had not been previously measured 

(fig. 11). 

To identify gaining and losing stream reaches, a 

low-flow seepage run (a set of discharge measurements 

representing approximately steady-flow conditions) 

was conducted during early September 2001, with a 

few follow-up measurements in early October 2001. 

The September time frame was chosen because flows 

are usually near their lows at this time and fluctuation 

due to precipitation is minimal, allowing for 

meaningful comparison of measurements. Streamflow 

and weather conditions were accommodating for this 

measurement effort: the September 2001 monthly 

mean flow of 50.9 ft3/s at gaging station 12409000 was 

well below the long-term September mean of 97.5 ft3/s, 

and no precipitation was measured at Colville during 

September 4-13 when most of the measurements were 

made (National Climatic Data Center, 2001).

A second set of measurements was made during 

April 11-24, 2002, to gather spring freshet high-flow 

information at some of the tributary locations and all of 

the Colville River locations measured in September 

2001. Although measurements were not made precisely 

at the peak for each location, the timing was good 

because the 2002 water year peak flow (1,720 ft3/s) for 

station 12409000 occurred on April 15. 

50

100

200

500

1,000

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT

MEAN DAILY DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

1923-2001 WATER YEARS

Figure 10. Mean daily discharges for the period of record (1923-2001) for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 12409000, Colville River at 

Kettle Falls in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
24 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Table 3. Miscellaneous discharge measurements made in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, 

Washington, 2001 and 2002

[Map No.: Location of measuring sites are shown on figure 11. Site name: Site names in bold are measurement sites 

located on the Colville River. All other measurement sites are located on streams tributary to the Colville River. 

Abbreviations: ft3/s, cubic foot per second; oC, degrees Celsius; –, not measured]

Map No. Site name Date Discharge 

(ft3

/s)

Water 

temperature 

(

oC)

B Sheep Creek at Springdale (station 12407500) 09/04/01 5.55 –

04/16/02 10.9 6.5

1 Sheep Creek at Forest Center Road, near Springdale 09/04/01 8.02 16.5

04/16/02 11.9 9

2 Sheep Creek at mouth, near Springdale 09/11/01 6.91 14.5

3 Deer Creek near Springdale 09/05/01 4.66 11

04/23/02 63.5 5.5

4 Deer Creek at mouth, near Springdale 09/11/01 4.13 13

5 Colville River at Betteridge Road, near Valley 09/05/01 12.9 15

04/17/02 163 5.5

6 Jumpoff Joe Creek near Valley 09/05/01 2.77 15.5

04/11/02 7.97 9.5

04/16/02 9.92 10

7 Jumpoff Joe Creek at mouth, near Valley 09/11/01 2.75 18.5

8 Bulldog Creek near Valley 09/11/01 2.84 10

04/11/02 4.00 9

08/16/02 4.62 11

9 Bulldog Creek at mouth, at Valley 10/02/01 17.32 –

08/16/02 17.97 13.5

10 Waitts Creek near Valley 10/02/01 .11 –

11 Waitts Creek at mouth, near Valley 10/02/01 .18 –

12 Huckleberry Creek near Valley 09/05/01 .52 13.5

04/18/02 106 5

13 Huckleberry Creek at mouth, near Valley 09/11/01 .07 18

14 Cottonwood Creek near Chewelah 09/05/01 2.38 17.5

04/12/02 46.4 7.5

15 Cottonwood Creek at mouth, near Chewelah 09/11/01 2.71 18

16 Sherwood Creek near Chewelah 09/05/01 .52 13.5

04/15/02 12.0 4.5

17 Sherwood Creek at mouth, near Chewelah 09/13/01 .42 13

18 Thomason Creek near Chewelah 09/07/01 .89 10.5

04/15/02 1.73 4.5

19 Thomason Creek at mouth, near Chewelah 09/13/01 .76 12.5

20 North Fork Chewelah Creek near Chewelah 09/07/01 3.73 10

04/18/02 103 5.5

21 South Fork Chewelah Creek near Chewelah 09/07/01 3.65 10

04/19/02 36.6 3.5

22 Chewelah Creek at mouth, at Chewelah 09/13/01 7.14 –

23 Paye Creek at Chewelah 09/07/01 3.39 11

04/15/02 4.37 5.5

24 Paye Creek at mouth, at Chewelah 09/13/01 3.00 –

25 Colville River at Schmidlekofer Road, at Chewelah 09/11/01 31.6 14

04/17/02 757 9

26 Blue Ceek near Blue Creek 09/06/01 .09 10

04/15/02 2.88 7
Ground- and Surface-Water Interactions 25

27 Blue Creek at mouth, at Blue Creek 09/13/01 0.04 –

E Colville River at Blue Creek (station 12408000) 09/05/01 31.3 17

04/17/02 707 9

28 Stensgar Creek near Addy 09/06/01 0.32 14

04/15/02 90.2 5.5

29 Stensgar Creek at mouth, at Addy 09/13/01 .04 –

30 Addy Creek at Addy 09/06//01 .10 12

04/16/02 11.8 4

31 Addy Creek at mouth, at Addy 09/13/01 .01 –

32 Stranger Creek near Addy 09/06/01 .24 14

04/16/02 62.1 5

33 Stranger Creek at mouth, near Addy 09/13/01 .04 –

34 Colville River at 12 Mile Road, near Addy 09/06/01 30.9 15

04/15/02 753 8.5

35 Little Pend Oreille River at Arden 09/05/01 13.6 15

04/24/02 290 4

36 Little Pend Oreille River at mouth, at Arden 09/13/01 9.63 –

37 Colville River at Arden 09/05/01 40.6 16

04/17/02 1,040 7.5

38 Haller Creek below Cole Creek, near Arden 09/06/01 .96 8

04/12/02 22.3 5

39 Haller Creek at mouth, near Arden 09/13/01 no flow –

H Mill Creek near Colville (station 12408500) 09/04/01 4.73 13

04/24/02 171 3

40 Mill Creek at Douglas Falls, near Colville 09/04/01 3.77 12

04/24/02 197 5.5

41 Gillette Creek near mouth, near Colville 08/27/01 no flow –

42 Clugston Creek near mouth, near Colville 09/07/01 .38 14

04/19/02 3.95 4

43 Mill Creek at mouth, near Colville 09/13/01 6.41 19

44 Gold Creek near Colville 09/07/01 .003 14

04/16/02 22.2 5

45 Gold Creek at mouth, near Colville 08/27/01 no flow –

46 Colville River at Greenwood Loop Road, near 

Kettle Falls

09/04/01 46.7 18

04/15/02 1,630 6.5

J Colville River at Kettle Falls (station 12409000) 09/04/01 246 –

04/15/02 21,560 –

08/16/02 361 21

47 Colville River near mouth, near Kettle Falls 08/16/02 59.4 23

1 Includes 0.67 ft3/s discharge from Lane Mountain Silica Plant. 2 Daily mean discharge.

3 Instantaneous discharge at time discharge was measured at Colville River near mouth, near Kettle Falls 

on August 16, 2002.

Table 3. Miscellaneous discharge measurements made in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, 

Washington, 2001 and 2002 (Continued)

[Map No.: Location of measuring sites are shown on figure 11. Site name: Site names in bold are measurement sites 

located on the Colville River. All other measurement sites are located on streams tributary to the Colville River. 

Abbreviations: ft3/s, cubic foot per second; oC, degrees Celsius; –, not measured]

Map No. Site name Date Discharge 

(ft3/s)

Water 

temperature 

(

oC)
26 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Addy Creek at Addy

Colville River at Arden

Gold Creek near Colville

Stranger Creek near Addy

Stensgar Creek near Addy

Paye Creek near Chewelah

Bulldog Creek near Valley

Blue Creek near Blue Creek

Deer Creek near Springdale

Thomason Creek near Chewelah

Sherwood Creek near Chewelah

Huckleberry Creek near Valley

Jumpoff Joe Creek near Valley

Cottonwood Creek near Chewelah

North Fork Chewelah Creek near Chewelah

Little Pend Oreille River at Arden

Gillette Creek near mouth, near Colville

Clugston Creek near mouth, near Colville

Haller Creek below Cole Creek, near Arden

Colville River at 12 Mile Road, near Addy

Mill Creek at Douglas Falls, near Colville

Colville River at Betteridge Road, near Valley

Colville River at Schmidlekofer Road, at Chewelah

Sheep Creek at Forest Center Road, near Springdale

Colville River at Greenwood Loop Road, near Kettle Falls

South Fork Chewelah Creek near Chewelah

Waitts Creek near Valley

Addy Creek at mouth, at Addy

Paye Creek at mouth, at Chewelah

Haller Creek at mouth, near Arden

Bulldog Creek at mouth, at Valley

Mill Creek at mouth, near Colville

Stranger Creek at mouth, near Addy

Blue Creek at mouth, at Blue Creek

Chewelah Creek at mouth, at Chewelah

Sherwood Creek at mouth, near Chewelah

Jumpoff Joe Creek at mouth, near Valley

Huckleberry Creek at mouth, near Valley

Cottonwood Creek at mouth, near Chewelah

Stensgar Creek at mouth, at Addy

Gold Creek at mouth, near Colville

Waitts Creek at mouth, near Valley

Deer Creek at mouth, near Springdale

Sheep Creek at mouth, near Springdale

Thomason Creek at mouth, near Chewelah

Little Pend Oreille River at mouth, at Arden

Deer Creek near Valley (12407520)

Haller Creek near Arden (12408420)

Sheep Creek at Loon Lake (12407000)

Sheep Creek at Springdale (12407500)

Colville River at Kettle Falls (12409000)

Mill Creek at mouth, near Colville (12408700)

Mill Creek near Colville (12408500)

Chewelah Creek at Chewelah (12407700)

Colville River at Blue Creek (12408000)

Little Pend Oreille River near Colville (12408300)

J

H

I

G

F

E

D

C

A

B

41

40

46

45

44

43

39

35

 42 

37

15

13

12

14

11

10

9

8

17

5

38

34

33

32

30

31

29

28

36

27

20

21

23

18

25

24

19

22

26

16

7

4

2

3

1

6

47 Colville River near mouth, near Kettle Falls

Discontinued station

EXPLANATION

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER 

WATERSHED

USGS STREAMFLOW-GAGING STATION— 

 Letter designation corresponds to station

 name

DISCHARGE-MEASUREMENT SITE — 

 Number designation corresponds to 

 site name

Continuous-record station

118 ̊ 117 ̊30'

48 ̊

30'

T

37

N

T

36

N

T

35

N

T

34

N

T

33

N

T

32

N

T

31

N

R 38 E R 39 E R 40 E R 41 E R 42 E

T

30

N

48 ̊

T

29

N

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Clugston Creek

Mill Creek

Colville River

Gold

Creek

Ha ller Creek

Stranger Creek

Stensgar

Creek

Dry Creek

Blue

Creek

Huckleberry

Creek

Waitts

Lake

Wa itts

Deer Creek

Deer

Lake

Loon

Lake

S h eep Creek

Grou se Creek

Jumpoff

Joe

Lake

Cottonwood C re ek

Sherwood Creek

Thomason Creek

South Fork Mill C reek

North Fork Mill Cr eek

Little Pend Oreille R iver

Add y Cr eek

South For k Chewela h Creek

North Fork Chewelah Creek

Paye

C er ek

Lake

Thomas

Creek

Colville River

Colville River

JoeCr. Jumpoff Bull d og Cr.

Kettle

Falls

Colville

Chewelah

Springdale

Loon Lake

Arden

Addy

42 40

41

46

45

44 43

39

35

37

36

38

34

33

32

30

28 29

27 26

20

21

23

18

25

24

19

22 16

15

13

12 14

10 11

 9

 8

 5

 6

7

4

2

 3

 1

31

17

47

J

H I

G F

E

D

C

B A

J

H I

G F

E

D

C

B A

Mingo

Mountain

Dunn

Mountain

Mountain

Huckleberry

Old Dominion

Mountain

Roundtop

Mountain

Mountain

Chewelah

Little

Calispell

Peak

Echo

Valley

Sand

Canyon

Figure 11. Locations of U.S. Geological Survey continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations and other sites at which measurements of stream discharge were 

made during 2001-02 in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington.
Ground- and Surface-Water Interactions 27

A few additional measurements were made on 

August 16, 2002: a pair of measurements on Bulldog 

Creek at the edge of the Colville River Valley and at the 

mouth of the creek, and a single measurement near the 

mouth of the Colville River.

All discharge measurements were made by 

personnel from the Stevens County Conservation 

District (SCCD) and the USGS. Coordination between 

the two agencies ensured that the field methods used 

met USGS standards. SCCD personnel made most of 

the measurements on the Colville River and on the 

tributary sites near the edges of the valley. The USGS 

made the measurements near the mouth of each 

tributary. All discharge measurements were made with 

Price AA or pygmy streamflow velocity meters except 

for the measurement of 0.003 ft3/s at Gold Creek near 

Colville on September 7, 2001, which was made using 

the volumetric method. USGS streamflowmeasurement techniques used in the study are 

documented in Buchanan and Somers (1969) and 

Rantz and others (1982).

Estimates of withdrawals from and discharges to 

the Colville River, corresponding with the synoptic 

low-flow measurement period, were made in order to 

include the amounts in the Colville River surface-water 

budget. The WRIA 59 Watershed Planning Team 

provided Stimson Lumber Mill's reported estimates of 

surface-water withdrawal from the Colville River for 

industrial use (Linda Kiefer, written commun., 

February 2003). The estimated withdrawal was 0.7 ft3/s 

for 8 hours each day during the period of the synoptic 

low-flow measurements. The surface-water budget 

based on the synoptic measurements was adjusted to 

account for this 0.7 ft3/s withdrawal plus an additional 

estimated withdrawal of 0.91 ft3/s from the Colville 

River for irrigation of 41 acres between Chewelah and 

the mouth of the Colville River (Linda Kiefer, written 

commun., February 2003) and for a City of Colville 

sewage facility discharge of 0.87 ft3/s into the Colville 

River (Harlan Elsasser, City of Colville, oral commun., 

February 2003). There was a reported discharge of 0.67 

ft3/s by the Lane Mountain Silica Plant into Bulldog 

Creek, which is included in the flow measured at the 

mouth of Bulldog Creek. Adjustments for evaporation 

or transpiration were not made. 

A total of 52.9 ft3/s of tributary flow was 

measured at 21 sites at or near the sides of the Colville 

Valley during the September-October 2001 low-flow 

seepage run. The average discharge leaving the valley 

from September 4 to 11, 2001, when most of the 

tributary flow measurements were made, was 47.2 ft3/s, 

as measured at station 12409000. The difference, 5.7 

ft3/s or 11.3 acre-ft/d, represents a loss of 10.8 percent 

of the flow reaching the valley floor. This is the amount 

of flow reaching the valley floor that did not show up as 

outflow from the basin as measured at the gaging 

station. Losses are likely attributable to 

evapotranspiration and movement of water into the 

shallow ground-water system and, to a lesser extent, 

surface-water diversions.

The Colville River surface-water budget 

developed from the low-flow measurements is detailed 

in table 4. The net gain or loss between each 

consecutive pair of discharge measurements along the 

Colville River was calculated as the difference between 

the sum of the upstream Colville discharge plus the 

intervening tributary discharge(s) and the downstream 

Colville River discharge. A 16.8-percent (1.86 ft3/s) 

gain in discharge is observed between the confluence 

of Sheep and Deer Creeks and the Colville River at 

Betteridge Road near Valley. A 15.2-percent (5.65 

ft3/s) loss in discharge is noted between measurements 

made at Betteridge Road near Valley and 

Schmidlekofer Road at Chewelah. The Colville River 

was measured at five additional locations downstream 

from Schmidlekofer Road, including gaging station 

12409000, and no gains or losses exceeding 2.5 percent 

were observed between consecutive locations. A 

second, separate analysis was made of the reach of the 

Colville River between Schmidlekofer Road and Kettle 

Falls because the information provided on agricultural 

irrigation did not identify where withdrawals occurred. 

A 2.2-percent (1.03 ft3/s) loss was observed in this 

reach (see bottom of table 4). An additional 

measurement made August 16, 2002, at Colville River 

near the mouth was 2.6 percent (1.60 ft3/s) less than the 

flow computed simultaneously at the gaging station. 

This was within the accuracy limits of the measurement 

and indicates that no significant flow was bypassing the 

gaging station.
28 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Table 4. Surface-water budget for the Colville River based on discharge measurements made during the September-October 2001 seepage run, Colville 

River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[Map No.: Location of measuring sites are shown on figure 11. Site name: Site names in bold are measurement sites located on the Colville River. All other 

measurement sites are located on streams tributary to the Colville River. Abbreviations: ft3/s, cubic foot per second]

Map 

No. Site name Date Discharge (ft3/s)

Cumulative tributary 

inflow to Colville River 

between consecutive 

Colville River 

measurement locations 

(ft3/s)

Net gain or loss between 

consecutive Colville River 

measurement locations

(ft3/s) (percent)

2 Sheep Creek at mouth, near Springdale 09/11/01 6.91

4 Deer Creek at mouth, near Springdale 09/11/01 4.13 11.04

5 Colville River at Betteridge Road, near Valley 09/05/01 12.9 1.86 16.8

7 Jumpoff Joe Creek at mouth, near Valley 09/11/01 2.75

9 Bulldog Creek at mouth, at Valley 10/02/01 17.32

11 Waitts Creek at mouth, near Valley 10/02/01 .18

13 Huckleberry Creek at mouth, near Valley 09/11/01 .07

15 Cottonwood Creek at mouth, near Chewelah 09/11/01 2.71

17 Sherwood Creek at mouth, near Chewelah 09/13/01 .42

19 Thomason Creek at mouth, near Chewelah 09/13/01 .76

22 Chewelah Creek at mouth, at Chewelah 09/13/01 7.14

24 Paye Creek at mouth, at Chewelah 09/13/01 3.00 24.35

25 Colville River at Schmidlekofer Road, at Chewelah 09/11/01 31.6 -5.65 -15.2

27 Blue Creek at mouth, at Blue Creek 09/13/01 .04 .04

E Colville River at Blue Creek (station 12408000) 09/05/01 31.3 -.34 -1.1

29 Stensgar Creek at mouth, at Addy 09/13/01 .04

31 Addy Creek at mouth, at Addy 09/13/01 .01

33 Stranger Creek at mouth, near Addy 09/13/01 .04 .09

34 Colville River at 12 Mile Road, near Addy 09/06/01 30.9 -.49 -1.6

36 Little Pend Oreille River at mouth, at Arden 09/13/01 9.63 9.63

37 Colville River at Arden 09/05/01 40.6 2.77 1.9

39 Haller Creek at mouth, near Arden 09/13/01 no flow

43 Mill Creek at mouth, near Colville 09/13/01 6.41

45 Gold Creek at mouth, near Colville 08/27/01 no flow 6.41

46 Colville River at Greenwood Loop, near Kettle Falls 09/04/01 46.7 3-1.18 -2.5

J Colville River at Kettle Falls (station 12409000) 09/04/01 446 -.70 -1.5

Analysis for the reach of the Colville River between Schmidlekofer Road and Kettle Falls

25 Colville River at Schmidlekofer Road, at Chewelah 09/11/01 31.6 16.17

J Colville River at Kettle Falls (station 12409000) 09/04/01 446 5-1.03 -2.2

1 Includes 0.67 ft3/s discharge from Lane Mountain Silica Plant. 2 Adjusted for estimated surface-water withdrawal of 0.7 ft3/s by Stimson Lumber Mill. 3 Adjusted for discharge of 0.87 ft3/s from City of Colville sewage treatment facility. 4 Daily mean discharge.

5 Adjusted for estimated surface-water withdrawal of 0.7 ft3/s by Stimson Lumber Mill, estimated surface-water withdrawal of 0.91 ft3/s for 

irrigation of 41 acres, and discharge of 0.87 ft3/s from City of Colville sewage treatment facility.
Ground- and Surface-Water Interactions 29

The net gain or loss in flow per unit length of 

channel also was estimated for the individual channel 

reaches of the Colville River (table 5). The 1.86 ft3/s 

gain in the 2.8-mile reach from the confluence of Sheep 

and Deer Creeks to Betteridge Road indicates a net 

gain per unit of channel length of 0.66 (ft3/s)/mi. The 

5.65 ft3/s loss from Betteridge Road to Schmidlekofer 

Road, a 12.1-mile reach, results in a 0.47 (ft3/s)/mi net 

loss per unit of channel length. The gains and losses per 

unit of channel length for the remaining downstream 

reaches range from a gain of 0.16 (ft3/s)/mi to a loss of 

0.18 (ft3/s)/mi. Analysis of the reach between 

Schmidlekofer Road and gaging station 12409000 

showed a loss of 1.03 ft3/s over 35.3 mi, a net loss of 

0.03 (ft3/s)/mi per unit of channel length.

The results of the September-October 2001 lowflow seepage run represent conditions at only one point 

in time, therefore they should not be assumed to be 

representative of other periods. This is clearly evident 

when the results of the seepage run are compared with 

seepage-run data that were collected by the USGS on 

many of the same streams during the 1960 and 1961 

water years as part of an unpublished investigation of 

the surface-water resources of Stevens County, 

conducted in cooperation with the Stevens County 

Public Utility District No. 1 (Richard C.R. Price, 

Public Utility District No. 1 of Stevens County, written 

commun., February 2003). Seepage runs were made in 

both August and September of the 1960 and 1961 

water years.

The September-October 2001 measurements 

were made near the end of a period of significant 

drought. The total precipitation in 2001 at most 

northeastern Washington precipitation gages was only 

about 50 percent of the long-term average annual 

amounts. A comparison of hydrographs of the mean 

daily discharges for the period of record for gaging 

station 12409000 (1923-2001) and the daily mean 

discharges for the 2001 water year clearly shows that 

flows during most of the 2001 water year were 

significantly below long-term average flows. In 

contrast, hydrographs for the 1960 and 1961 water 

years indicate that flows in those years, especially 

during the spring and early summer months, were 

significantly higher than average flows. This is 

consistent with statements in the unpublished reports of 

the measurements made in 1960 and 1961 that the 

spring was unusually wet during those water years. 

Table 5. Net gain or loss between consecutive Colville River discharge measurement locations during the September-October 2001 seepage run, Colville 

River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[ft3/s, cubic foot per second; mi, mile; (ft3/s)/mi, cubic foot per second per mile]

Reach of Colville River (from upstream to downstream end)

Net gain 

or loss 

(ft3/s)

Channel 

length 

(mi)

Net gain or loss per 

unit channel length 

[(ft3/s)/mi)]

Confluence of Sheep and Deer Creeks to Colville River at Betteridge Road 1.86 2.8 0.66

Betteridge Road to Schmidlekofer Road -5.65 12.1 -.47

Schmidlekofer Road to Blue Creek bridge -.34 6.7 -.05

Blue Creek bridge to 12 Mile Road -.49 6.9 -.07

12 Mile Road to Arden (junction of Little Pend Oreille River and Colville River) 1.77 4.7 .16

Arden to Greenwood Loop Road 2-1.18 13.0 -.09

Greenwood Loop Road to Colville River at Kettle Falls gaging station (12409000) -.70 4.0 -.18

Schmidlekofer Road to Colville River at Kettle Falls gaging station (12409000) 3-1.03 35.3 -.03

1 Adjusted for estimated surface-water withdrawal of 0.7 ft3/s by Stimson Lumber Mill. 2 Adjusted for discharge of 0.87 ft3/s from City of Colville sewage treatment facility. 3 Adjusted for estimated surface-water withdrawal of 0.7 ft3/s by Stimson Lumber Mill, estimated surface-water withdrawal of 0.91 ft3/s for 

irrigation of 41 acres, and discharge of 0.87 ft3/s from City of Colville sewage treatment facility.
30 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

The low flows measured during the 1960 and 

1961 water years, when precipitation was above 

normal, are significantly higher than those measured 

during the 2001 water year, a drought year. Most flows 

measured during the 1960 and 1961 water years are at 

least twice as high as those measured at about the same 

locations during the 2001 water year. Most of the 

reaches between consecutive Colville River sites 

during the 1960 and 1961 water years gained 

significant amounts of flow, ranging from about 4 to 13 

ft3/s, whereas most during the 2001 water year lost 

small amounts of flow. One of the most significant 

differences in the two sets of data is for the reach of the 

Colville River from Betteridge Road to Schmidlekofer 

Road. Whereas the flow in that reach increased by 

amounts ranging from about 8 to 13 ft3/s during 1960 

and 1961, the flow in that reach decreased by 5.65 ft3/s 

in 2001.

A comparison of the data collected between a 

Colville River site between Haller and Mill Creeks and 

the Colville River at station 12409000 during the 1960 

and 1961 water years indicates how quickly flow 

conditions can change in the basin. The measurements 

made in August of those years indicated gains of 6 to 7 

ft3/s in that reach, whereas those made in September of 

those years indicated losses of about 10 ft3/s in that 

reach. Another interesting observation is that of the six 

locations where the discharge of the Colville River was 

measured, the flows measured in September of each 

year were higher than those measured in August of the 

same year except for those measured at station 

12409000, which were lower than those measured in 

August. 

An analysis of the 2001 data, similar to that done 

for the Colville River reaches, was done to determine 

net gain or loss of most tributaries across the 

unconsolidated material of the valley floor (table 6). 

Net gain or loss per unit of channel length was less than 

0.50 (ft3/s)/mi for most of the tributaries. Two 

tributaries, Bulldog Creek and Little Pend Oreille 

River, had relatively high values of 3.67 (ft3/s)/mi and -

3.31 (ft3/s)/mi, respectively. The sum of the net gain or 

loss for all tributaries across the valley floor was only 

1.09 ft3/s, or 2.1 percent of flow measured at the 

valley's edge. If the 0.67 ft3/s gain at Bulldog Creek 

attributed to discharge from the Lane Mountain Silica 

plant is excluded, the sum of the net gain or loss is 0.42 

ft3/s, or 0.8 percent of the flow measured at the valley's 

edge. In either case, the difference is less than the 

±5-percent accuracy for the measurement totals at both 

the edge of the valley and the tributary mouths.

Peak flows for the tributaries were not 

determined during this study, but a measurement was 

made on each major tributary during the spring freshet 

of 2002. These measurements are listed for comparison 

with the peaks of record for the seven streams that have 

historical record (table 7). Unit discharges (table 7) 

computed from the peaks of record can provide insight 

into the effects of elevation, topography, precipitation, 

land cover, and storage within a subbasin. The unit 

discharge for the peak of record on the Colville River at 

the Kettle Falls gaging station (station 12409000) is 

3.42 (ft3/s)/mi2. Sheep Creek and Deer Creek, the two 

source streams for the Colville River, have the lowest 

and highest unit discharges of the seven streams for 

which a period of continuous record exists. The low 

unit discharge for Sheep Creek [1.70 (ft3/s)/mi2] 

probably is explained primarily by natural storage in 

Deer Lake and Loon Lake and their underlying aquifer. 

Deer Creek, a relatively small tributary basin of 36 mi2, 

has the highest unit discharge at 12.6 (ft3/s)/mi2, 

indicating very little storage in the basin. The Little 

Pend Oreille River and Mill Creek, the largest and third 

largest tributary basins respectively, both have unit 

discharges that exceed 8 (ft3/s)/mi2. Both basins appear 

to have ground-water storage capacity, and the Little 

Pend Oreille has several small lakes capable of 

temporary natural storage. However, the accumulation 

of snowpack in the upper altitudes in these tributaries, 

located in the northern portion of the Colville River 

Watershed, can be sufficient to produce unit discharges 

more than twice that for the Colville River. The low 

unit discharge for the Colville River indicates that 

flooding is not a major problem in the Colville Valley, 

but local flooding at the mouths or in tributary basins 

occurs infrequently, and often is the result of rain-onsnow events. 
Ground- and Surface-Water Interactions 31

Table 6. Net gain or loss of tributary flow across Colville Valley floor based on discharge measurements made during the 

September-October 2001 seepage run, Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[ft3/s, cubic foot per second; mi, mile; (ft3/s)/mi, cubic foot per second per mile]

Stream reach Net gain or loss 

(ft3/s)

Channel 

length 

(mi)

Net gain or loss per 

unit channel length 

[(ft3/s)/mi)]

Sheep Creek, Springdale to Forest Center Road 

Forest Center Road to mouth

2.47

-1.11

3.7

2.52

0.67

-.44

Deer Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.53 1.11 -.48

Jumpoff Joe Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.02 .58 -.03

Bulldog Creek, edge of valley to mouth 14.48 1.22 3.67

Waitts Creek, edge of valley to mouth .07 1.14 .06

Huckleberry Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.45 .85 -.53

Cottonwood Creek, edge of valley to mouth .33 2.88 .11

Sherwood Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.10 .81 -.12

Thomason Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.13 2.22 -.06

North Fork Chewelah Creek, edge of valley to mouth 2-.24 4.35 -.06

Paye Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.39 3.2 -.12

Blue Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.05 1.53 -.03

Stensgar Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.28 2.4 -.12

Addy Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.09 .47 -.19

Stranger Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.20 1.71 -.12

Little Pend Oreille River, edge of valley to mouth -3.97 1.2 -3.31

Haller Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.96 2.29 -.42

Mill Creek, from station 12408500 to Douglas Falls 

From Douglas Falls to mouth

-.96

32.26

2.74

6.37

-.35

.35

Gold Creek, edge of valley to mouth -.003 .3 -.01

Net gain from all tributaries measured 41.087

1 Includes 0.67 ft3/s discharge from Lane Mountain Silica Plant. 2 Includes discharge from South Fork Chewelah Creek. 3 Includes discharge from Clugston Creek.

4 Loss from Mill Creek gaging station 12408500 to Douglas Falls not included in net gain.
32 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Interactions Between Ground and Surface Water 

and Between the Deep and Shallow Aquifers

The streamflow data presented in the previous 

section indicate that there is considerable interaction 

between the near-surface hydrogeologic units and the 

surface water of the basin. Gaining and losing stream 

reaches vary from month to month and from year to 

year. During the low-flow measurements made during 

this investigation, discharge increased from the 

confluence of Sheep and Deer Creeks to the Colville 

River near Valley and discharge decreased from Valley 

to Chewelah. At five measurement sites from Chewelah 

to the gage at Kettle Falls (station 12409000), 

discharge generally decreased, but was small. These 

data indicate that during September 2001, the Colville 

River gained flow from the shallow ground-water 

system near its headwaters and lost flow to the shallow 

ground-water system from Valley to Chewelah. 

Downstream from Chewelah, the river generally lost 

flow, but amounts were small and possibly within 

measurement error. In September 1960 and 1961, 

however, most reaches measured on the Colville River 

gained flow from the shallow system. Although the 

interactions of the shallow ground- and surface-water 

systems are important, the variability over space and 

time is not well understood. A more complete 

understanding of the shallow ground- and surfacewater system could be gained by studying the 

interactions between the Colville River and the shallow 

ground water by monitoring water levels in the river 

and in nearby shallow wells or piezometers at different 

times during the year.

The interactions between the deep and shallow 

aquifers of the basin can be inferred using data from 

closely spaced wells completed in different 

hydrogeologic units, and streamflow data. It appears 

that the Lower aquifer and the shallow part of the 

Colville Valley confining unit, which includes shallow 

and discontinuous aquifer material in places, may act 

as fairly independent systems. Ground-water levels 

indicate that there are upward head gradients in the 

Lower aquifer, from about 3 mi north of Springdale to 

the mouth of Echo Valley. However, most reaches on 

the Colville River and paired locations on the 

tributaries lost water to the ground-water system in 

Table 7. High-flow discharge measurements made in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington, April 2002

[Station No.: Number of nearest U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station. Abbreviations: ft3/s, cubic foot per second; mi2, square mile; (ft3/s)/mi2, 

cubic foot per second per square mile]

Site name Date Discharge

(ft3/s)

Historical peak discharges at streamflow-gaging stations

Station 

No. Date

Peak 

discharge 

(ft3/s)

Drainage 

area 

(mi2)

Unit discharge 

[(ft3/s)/mi2]

Sheep Creek at Forest Center Road 

near Springdale1

4/16/02 11.9 12407500 04/08/69 82 48.2 1.70

Deer Creek near Springdale2 4/23/02 63.5 12407520 01/16/74 454 36.0 12.6

Chewelah Creek3 (sum of North 

Fork and South Fork)

4/18-19/02 140 12407700 01/17/74 392 94.1 4.17

Little Pend Oreille River at Arden4 4/24/02 290 12408300 05/10/61 1,060 132 8.03

Mill Creek near Colville5 4/24/02 171 12408500 04/24/69 694 83.0 8.36

Haller Creek below Cole Creek 

near Arden6

4/12/02 22.3 12408420 03/29/60 148 37.0 4.00

Colville River at Kettle Falls7 4/15/02 81,720 12409000 01/21/74 3,440 1,007 3.42

1Located about 3.7 miles downstream from discontinued gaging station 12407500. 2Located about 0.9 mile downstream from discontinued gaging station 12407520.

3Located about 1.9 and 1.4 miles upstream from discontinued gaging station 12407700, respectively. 4Located about 5.8 miles downstream from discontinued gaging station 12408300. 5Located at discontinued gaging station 12408500.

6Located about 1.6 miles upstream from discontinued gaging station 12408420. 7Located at currently operating gaging station 12409000.

8 Recorded annual peak discharge.
Water Quantity 33

September 2001, perhaps to shallow and discontinuous 

lenses within the Colville Valley confining unit or to 

the Upper outwash aquifer along the margins of the 

valley. There may be some connection with the losing 

stream reaches and the Lower aquifer near the edges of 

the valley where the Colville Valley confining unit is 

thinner or possibly absent.

WATER QUANTITY

Surface- and ground-water withdrawals, 

recharge to the ground-water system, and an 

approximate water budget of the Colville River 

Watershed were estimated in order to assist the WRIA 

59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team in 

addressing water-quantity issues set forth in the 

Watershed Management Act (HB 2514). A 

comprehensive water-use and water-right inventory 

was conducted by the Planning Team in order to 

quantify the amount of water being used or 

appropriated in the Colville River Watershed (Linda 

Kiefer, written commun., March 2002). Results of the 

water-use inventory are included in Appendix 1, as 

reported by the Planning Team. The results of the 

water-use survey are summarized in this report for 

comparison with the overall water budget for the 

watershed.

Surface- and Ground-Water Withdrawals

Water is withdrawn from surface- and groundwater sources within the study basin for public and 

domestic supply and for commercial, industrial, 

irrigation, and livestock uses. The water-use data will 

be compared with overall precipitation, or inflow to the 

watershed, in the section “Estimated Water Budget.” 

Total surface- and ground-water withdrawals 

during 2001 were estimated to be 9,340 Mgal, or 

28,700 acre-ft (table 8). Surface water supplied 65 

percent of the total estimated withdrawals for the study 

basin, and ground water supplied 35 percent. There 

were 4,243 water rights and claims registered at the 

Washington Department of Ecology for the study basin 

in 2001 for an estimated 36,680 Mgal of water 

(Appendix 1A). 

Return flow to the Colville River from municipal 

wastewater treatment plants during 2001 was estimated 

to be 386 Mgal. Return flow from the Colville Fish 

Hatchery to a small stream adjacent to the hatchery was 

reported to be 186 Mgal. Seasonal spray irrigation of 

municipal wastewater in the study basin was estimated 

to be 5.89 Mgal during 2001 (some portion of this is 

lost through evapotranspiration). Return flow to the 

ground-water system through septic systems was 

estimated to be 258 Mgal. The total return flow to 

ground- and surface-water systems for 2001 was 

approximately 830 Mgal or 2,600 acre-ft 

(Appendix 1B), or 9 percent of the total estimated 

water use for the watershed (9,340 Mgal or 

28,700 acre-ft). 

Irrigation accounted for 75.3 percent (7,030 

Mgal or 21,600 acre-ft) of the total water used in the 

study basin (Appendix 1C). Surface-water sources 

provided 87 percent of the total irrigation withdrawals. 

Irrigation withdrawals were based on the total 

estimated number of irrigated acres in the study basin 

(7,190 acres) and an estimated application rate (3 acreft/yr). Crops grown in the Colville River Watershed 

(predominately alfalfa grass and small grains, with 

Table 8. Water-use categories and withdrawals, Colville River 

Watershed, Stevens County, Washington, 2001

[Water-use category: Data are provided in Appendix 1. Values may not add 

up to totals due to rounding. Abbreviations: Mgal, million gallons; acre-ft, 

acre-foot]

Water-use 

category

Total for 2001 Percentage 

Mgal of total acre-ft

Public supply 1,520 4,670 16.3

Exempt 610 1,870 6.5

Irrigation 7,030 21,600 75.3

Livestock 101 310 1.08

Industrial 77.8 239 .83

Total 9,340 28,700 100

LIVESTOCK

INDUSTRIAL

PUBLIC SUPPLY

EXEMPT

IRRIGATION

WATER-USE CATEGORY
34 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

minor amounts of corn and potatoes) generally require 

2 acre-ft/yr. However, with an efficiency estimate of 70 

percent for the irrigation systems in the area, 3 acreft/yr was used to estimate total irrigation withdrawals.

Water withdrawn for public supply accounted for 

16.3 percent (1,520 Mgal or 4,670 acre-ft) of the total 

water used in the study basin (Appendix 1D). Public 

withdrawals are supplied by ground-water sources. A 

few group A water systems rely on surface-water 

sources for seasonal and emergency uses. Publicsupply withdrawals were derived from reported and 

estimated water-use data. Water-use estimates for 

unreported water systems were based on the average 

daily water use per home (1998-2001) from several 

representative public water systems, multiplied by the 

number of connections for each water system from the 

2001 Washington Department of Health records. 

Water-use estimates for systems that included nonresidential connections were based on non-residential 

water demand values provided by Washington 

Department of Health.

Water withdrawn from exempt wells (private 

wells or springs) accounted for 6.5 percent (610 Mgal 

or 1,870 acre-ft) of the total water used in the study 

basin (Appendix 1E). Exempt wells are supplied by 

ground-water sources. Exempt-well withdrawal 

estimates were based on information from the 2000 

U.S. Bureau of Census on population and the average 

household size in the study basin. The total estimated 

number of exempt wells in the study basin (2,969 

wells) was based on the total estimated number of 

residents using exempt wells (7,954 residents) and the 

average household size (2.68 persons). Water 

withdrawal estimates for homes with exempt wells 

were determined by multiplying the number of exempt 

wells by the average daily water use per home (1998-

2001) in the study area.

Industrial and livestock withdrawals each 

accounted for about 1 percent (77.8 and 101 Mgal or 

239 and 310 acre-ft, respectively) of the total water 

used in the study area (Appendix 1F and 1G) . 

Industrial withdrawal records were provided by users 

in the study area. Livestock withdrawals were based on 

the number of animals, provided by the Washington 

State University Extension Office, multiplied by 

species-specific water-use amounts provided by the 

Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Ground-Water Recharge

In order to estimate the average annual groundwater recharge in the Colville River Watershed, the 

PULSE computer model (Rutledge, 1997) was used to 

analyze streamflow data for six subbasins and the 

entire watershed based on the availability of long-term 

streamflow data collected at USGS gaging stations. 

The resulting recharge estimates provide an indication 

of the variability of the recharge within the watershed.

The PULSE computer model uses measured 

streamflow data and analytical equations to simulate a 

hydrograph of ground-water discharged to a stream. 

The user of the model calibrates the model by adjusting 

recharge values until estimated ground-water discharge 

approximates streamflow for those periods where the 

primary source of water in the stream is baseflow. 

General assumptions for the successful application of 

the model include: all, or most, ground water in the 

basin should discharge to a stream, except for minor 

losses to evapotranspiration or flow to deeper aquifer 

systems; the flow system should be dominated by 

rainfall rather than snowmelt runoff; the effects on 

streamflow from wetlands, extensive losing reaches of 

the stream, ground-water evapotranspiration, or 

ground-water withdrawals should be minimal; rain 

should fall uniformly over the basin, leading to uniform 

distribution of recharge; no more than a negligible 

amount of flow regulation or diversion of the modeled 

stream should occur; and the drainage area of the basin 

should not be greater than 500 mi2. For additional 

details on the application, assumptions, and limitations 

of the PULSE computer model, the reader is referred to 

Rutledge (1997).

Data required to run PULSE for a basin are 

drainage area, daily streamflow values, and the 

recession index. The recession index, in days per log 

cycle, is found by identifying periods of linear 

recession on a streamflow hydrograph plotted on semilog paper and determining the number of days per log 

cycle. Depending on the number and duration of 

periods of streamflow recession, the median value of a 

range of recession indexes may be used.

In this study, PULSE was applied to streamflow 

records for six subbasins in the Colville River 

Watershed: Sheep, Deer, Haller, Mill, and Chewelah 

Creeks and the Little Pend Oreille River, and also for 

the entire watershed (fig. 12). 
Water Quantity 35

Clugston Creek

ill Creek

olville River

Gold

Creek

Ha ller Creek

Stranger Creek

Stensgar Creek

Dry C

Huckleberry

Creek

Waitts

Lake

Wa itts

Deer Creek

Deer

Lake

oon

Lake

eek

Grou se Creek

Jumpoff

Joe

Lake

Cottonwood C re ek

Sherwood Creek

omason Creek

South Fork Mill C reek

North Fork Mill Cr eek

Little Pend Oreille Riv e r

Add y Cr eek

South For k Chewela h Creek

North Fork Chewelah Creek

Lake

Thomas

Creek

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

lville

River

Colville R iver

Blue

Creek

JoeCr. Jumpoff Bull d og Cr.

118° 117°30'

48°

30'

T

37

N

T

36

N

T

35

N

T

34

N

T

33

N

T

32

N

T

31

N

R 38 E R 39 E R 40 E R 41 E R 42 E

T

30

N

48°

T

29

N

Springdale

12409000

15.1 - 25.0

USGS STREAM-GAGING STATION

AND NO.

EXPLANATION

25.1 - 35.0

35.1 - 45.0

45.1 - 55.0

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES

BOUNDARY OF MODELED SUBBASIN

BOUNDARY OF COLVILLE RIVER

WATERSHED

PRECIPITATION, IN INCHES

PER YEAR

Discontinued station

Continuous-record station

Chewelah Creek

Basin

Little Pend

Oreille River

Basin

Sheep

Creek

Basin

Deer Creek

Basin

Mill Creek

Basin

Haller Creek

Basin

12408500

12409000

12408300

12408420

12407700

12407520

12407500

Mingo

Mountain

Dunn

Mountain

Mountain

Huckleberry

Old Dominion

Mountain

Roundtop

Mountain

Mountain Chewelah

Little

Calispell

Peak

Echo

Valley

Sand

Canyon

Figure 12. Modeled subbasins, distribution of long-term (1961-90) precipitation, and streamflow-gaging stations with data used to estimate recharge in 

the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington. 
36 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Drainage areas and streamflow records were 

downloaded from the USGS web page Water 

Resources Data for Washington (http://wa.water. 

usgs.gov/realtime/historical.html) for the period of 

record for the entire study area and for the six 

subbasins. Mean annual discharge was computed for 

the study area and for each of the subbasins, and the 

year with the annual discharge most closely matching 

the mean value was chosen for use with the PULSE 

model.

For the study area and each of the subbasins, the 

daily mean discharges were plotted on semi-log graphs 

and the recession indexes obtained from those plots. 

Input data files consisting of drainage area and the 

recession index were created, and model-generated 

daily streamflows were computed for each modeled 

basin. After the initial model runs, the hydrographs of 

model-generated ground-water discharge were plotted 

alongside the daily-values hydrograph. The two 

hydrographs were compared and new values of 

recharge were specified in the appropriate input data 

file to obtain additional model results. This process 

continued until the model-generated hydrograph 

matched, as closely as possible, the measured dailyvalues hydrograph for those days where streamflow 

was composed primarily of ground-water discharge 

(fig. 13).

Recharge estimates for the six subbasins were: 

Haller Creek Basin, 1.6 in./yr; Sheep Creek Basin, 2.3 

in./yr; Chewelah Creek Basin, 4.2 in./yr; Deer Creek 

Basin, 4.5 in./yr; Little Pend Oreille River Basin, 4.2 

in./yr; and Mill Creek Basin, 5.0 in./yr (table 9). In 

general, the higher recharge values are for basins with 

higher precipitation (fig. 12). However, other 

characteristics, such as land cover, soil type, subsurface 

geologic materials, or basin slope, may be as important 

as precipitation in determining the amount of recharge 

for a basin. For example, the estimated recharge in the 

Sheep Creek Basin, which has areas of relatively high 

precipitation, is lower than recharge estimated for Deer 

Creek, a basin with lower precipitation. Subsurface 

geologic material underlying the Sheep Creek drainage 

(station 12407500) is more permeable than subsurface 

geologic material underlying the Deer Creek gaging 

station (12407520). Because some of the water from 

precipitation likely bypasses the Sheep Creek gaging 

station as underflow, streamflow would be 

underestimated during low-flow periods, resulting in an 

underestimate of ground-water discharge to streams, 

which the model computes from recharge. The PULSE 

model does not directly use these characteristics, 

including precipitation, but these variables affect 

PULSE simulations by how they affect surface runoff 

and recharge and, subsequently, streamflow.

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380

TIME, IN DAYS

1

1,000

2

3

4

5

7

10

20

30

40

50

70

100

200

300

400

500

700

FLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

MEASURED STREAMFLOW

CALCULATED GROUND-WATER DISCHARGE

Figure 13. Comparison of measured streamflow and ground-water discharge calculated by the PULSE computer model for U.S. Geological Survey 

streamflow-gaging station 12407520, Deer Creek near Valley, Washington, from January 1, 1965, through December 31, 1965.
Water Quantity 37

The streamflow data from gaging station 

12409000 on the Colville River near Kettle Falls were 

used in the PULSE model to obtain an estimate of the 

recharge for the entire study area of 1.5 in./yr. 

However, this value may not be reliable because of 

several factors. The contributing drainage area for 

station 12409000 is 1,007 mi2, more than double the 

recommended maximum limit for use of the model. 

The variety and range of the subsurface geologic 

materials and precipitation in the study area (pl. 1 and 

fig. 12) almost certainly result in non-uniform recharge 

throughout the study area. Although some of the 

assumptions of the PULSE model are not stringently 

met, the results obtained provide a useful estimate of 

recharge. A fully calibrated ground-water flow model 

will likely give a more valid recharge estimate, and 

such a model is being developed for Phase II of this 

investigation. 

A concurrent USGS study is using a 

precipitation-runoff model (Leavesley and others, 

1983) to estimate ground-water recharge in the study 

area in support of the ground-water flow modeling that 

is underway (D.M. Ely, U.S. Geological Survey, 

written commun., 2002). Preliminary results of this 

work indicate that the recharge estimates produced by 

the PULSE model are reasonable. However, the 

rainfall-runoff model is uncalibrated, so any further 

comparisons cannot be made at this time. More refined 

basin-wide recharge estimates using the precipitationrunoff model are planned in Phase II.

Estimated Water Budget

On a long-term basis, a hydrologic system is 

usually in a state of dynamic equilibrium; that is, 

inflow to the system is equal to outflow from the 

system and there is little or no change in the quantity of 

water stored within the system. An estimated water 

budget, or distribution of precipitation, for a typical 

year in the Colville River Watershed is presented in

table 10. It includes estimates of component values, 

and illustrates the fate of precipitation (inflow) by 

approximating the distribution of water in the basin's 

hydrologic system: precipitation (inflow) and 

evapotranspiration, streamflow, and ground-water 

discharge (outflow). It is assumed that, in the long 

term, inflow to the basin equals outflow and there is 

little or no change in the amount of water stored within 

the basin. The following equations illustrate this 

relation:

 Precipitation = Evapotranspiration + Streamflow 

at outlet + Ground-water discharge at outlet; (4)

and for the study area:

27 inches = 22.5 inches + 4.2 inches + 0.3 inch. (5)

Table 9. Annual recharge estimated by the PULSE model for the Colville River Watershed and for selected subbasins, Washington

[Station No.: U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station No. Water year: Period from October 1 through September 30, 

designated by the year in which it ends. Abbreviations: mi2, square mile; in., inch]

Stream Station No. Drainage area 

(mi2)

Period of record

(water years)

Estimated 

annual 

recharge 

(in.)

Subbasin

Sheep Creek at Springdale 12407500 48.2 1950-59 2.3

Deer Creek near Valley 12407520 36.0 1959-72 4.5

Chewelah Creek at Chewelah 12407700 94.1 1957-74 4.2

Little Pend Oreille River near Colville 12408300 132.0 1958-75 4.2

Haller Creek near Arden 12408420 37.0 1959-70 1.6

Mill Creek near Colville 12408500 83.0 1939-72; 1977-86 5.0

Colville River Watershed

Colville River at Kettle Falls 12409000 1,007 1923-present 1.5
38 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Equation 4 shows the water-budget components 

and equation 5 shows the estimated value for each 

component, in inches, derived for the study area. When 

converted to millions of gallons per year and acre-feet 

(table 10), the values of the components can be 

compared with water-use estimates provided in the 

section "Water Quantity" (table 8).

A statistical-topographic model for mapping 

climatological precipitation over mountainous terrain, 

PRISM (Daly and others, 1994), was used to derive an 

area-weighted average precipitation of 27 in. for the 

Colville River Watershed. The distribution of average 

annual precipitation (1961-90) for the watershed, 

contoured using data from NOAA weather stations and 

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource 

Conservation Service snow-measurement stations, is 

shown in figure 12. Averaging the ranges of 

precipitation over the basin yielded the area-weighted 

average of 27 in. Discharge from the Colville River 

near Kettle Falls (4.2 in.) was based on the long-term 

average flow (309 ft3/s) at gaging station 12409000 

from 1923 to 2001. Ground-water discharge leaving the 

basin at depth was estimated to be 0.3 in. using a basic 

Darcy equation (Q = -KA(dh/dl)) and characteristics of 

the Lower aquifer in that area (K, hydraulic 

conductivity, 240 ft/d; A, area of Lower aquifer, 

240,000 ft2; dh/dl, change in hydraulic head, -200 

ft/mi). Ground-water discharge is a gross estimate that 

could be refined in the future if the geometry of the 

Lower aquifer near the mouth of the basin is better 

understood. The value for evapotranspiration (22.5 in.) 

is a residual; that is, it represents the quantity that 

remains after Colville River and ground-water 

discharge are subtracted from precipitation. 

Preliminary results from a concurrent USGS study in 

the Colville River Basin using a precipitation-runoff 

model (Leavesley and others, 1983) include an 

estimated annual evapotranspiration of about 20 in. for 

the watershed (D.M. Ely, U.S. Geological Survey, 

written commun., 2002), which is in good agreement 

with the estimate for this study. 

The predominant fate of precipitation in the 

basin (83 percent) is loss from the basin through 

evapotranspiration, a combination of evaporation 

from open bodies of water, evaporation from soil 

surfaces, and transpiration from the soil by plants. 

Evapotranspiration commonly accounts for the greatest 

loss from basins with similar hydrologic conditions. 

For comparison, evapotranspiration losses ranged from 

74 percent to 89 percent of precipitation in 

hydrologically similar subbasins of the Yakima River 

Basin in central Washington (John Vaccaro, U.S. 

Geological Survey, written commun., February 2003). 

The estimates for the Yakima River subbasins were 

made with the assumptions that changes in groundwater storage over time and ground-water outflow are 

both negligible.

Streamflow leaving the basin, as measured at 

Kettle Falls, is 16 percent of precipitation. Groundwater discharge from the basin represents only 1 

percent of precipitation. Actual total water use for 

2001, an estimated 9,340 Mgal/yr or 28,700 acre-ft 

(table 8), is only 2 percent of total precipitation, 

whereas water rights and claims registered for the study 

basin are an estimated 36,680 Mgal/yr, about 8 percent 

of total precipitation (Appendix 1A). These simple 

comparisons indicate that actual water use and 

registered water use are relatively small compared to 

total precipitation. 

Table 10. Estimated annual water budget for the Colville River 

Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[Mgal/yr, million gallons per year]

Hydrologic 

component

Estimated quantity Percentage 

of total 

precipitation Inches Mgal/yr Acre-feet

Inflow:

Precipitation 27 473,000 1,450,000 100

Outflow:

Evapotranspiration 

(residual)

22.5 394,000 1,210,000 83

Streamflow at 

outlet

4.2 73,500 225,000 16

Ground-water 

discharge at 

outlet

.3 5,250 16,100 1

OUTFLOW

STREAMFLOW AT OUTLET

GROUND-WATER DISCHARGE

AT OUTLET

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
Summary and Conclusions 39

An approximate water budget for the groundwater system is more difficult to estimate than the basin 

water budget presented above because of limited 

knowledge of component values. The total inflow to 

the ground-water system is unknown, but would 

include the 0.3 in. that leaves the basin at the lower end 

through subareal flow and 0.3 in. that leaves through 

pumping (gross withdrawals). More detailed water 

budgets will be estimated during Phase II using a 

calibrated ground-water flow model. The calibrated 

model will provide a more refined depiction of the 

ground-water and surface-water flow system where 

current observational data are lacking. 

ADDITIONAL DATA NEEDS

Several primary data needs were noted during 

the course of this study that would aid in a more 

thorough understanding of the water resources of the 

Colville River Watershed. 

• The most immediate need is for long-term groundwater level data. Monthly water-level data 

collected over many years of record would assist 

in detecting seasonal fluctuations and long-term 

trends in ground-water levels in the watershed. 

Water-level measurements from a representative 

mix of hydrogeologic units would be required to 

document fluctuations and trends throughout the 

entire hydrogeologic system of the watershed. 

• Throughout much of the study area, the depth to 

bedrock, and therefore the thickness of the 

potential water-bearing sediments, is unknown. 

Geophysical studies and test drilling in the 

Colville River valley would help determine the 

geometry of the underlying bedrock. The 

geometry of the Lower aquifer near the mouth of 

the basin is also poorly understood, but could be 

better described with additional well and 

geophysical data. 

• A better understanding of the relation between the 

shallow ground-water system and the Colville 

River is needed. Monitoring of river and nearby 

shallow ground-water levels over time would help 

address this issue. 

• Accurate altitudes for selected wells on the valley 

floor would allow a more refined evaluation of 

vertical hydraulic head gradients between the 

shallow ground-water system and the river, and 

between the shallow and deep aquifers. 

• There are few baseline and long-term groundwater chemistry data available within the 

watershed to document existing water quality and 

possible long-term changes in water quality. Initial 

water samples could be collected from selected 

wells and analyzed for concentrations of nitrate, 

bacteria, arsenic, and radionuclides. At the time of 

sampling, pH, specific conductance, dissolvedoxygen concentration, and temperature could be 

measured. From these baseline data, a water 

chemistry network could be designed to assess 

cyclic or long-term changes. 

• The potential effects of ground-water development 

on the ground- and surface-water systems cannot 

be reasonably estimated or quantified at present. 

However, a ground-water flow model currently 

being developed by the USGS can help predict 

these effects and assist local watershed planners in 

evaluating various water-use alternatives.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The Colville River Watershed is a 1,007-squaremile area located mostly in Stevens County, 

northeastern Washington. The Colville River begins at 

the south end of the basin, then flows generally north 

and north-northwest for about 43 mi to where it 

empties into Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake. Presently, 

surface water is available for further appropriation only 

from the mainstem of the Colville River from October 

1 through July 15, and all streams tributary to the 

Colville are considered to be fully appropriated by the 

Washington Department of Ecology under existing 

water rights. Issuance of new ground-water rights has 

been halted by the Washington Department of Ecology 

because of possible hydraulic continuity between the 

ground and surface waters. These closures put limits on 

economic growth within the Colville River Watershed. 

The WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning 

Team asked the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a 

study with the primary goal being to investigate the 

ground-water system of the valley-fill deposits of the 

Colville River Watershed. 
40 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

The objectives of this study were to:

• Define the hydrogeologic framework 

including mapping the extent and thickness of 

aquifers and confining units in the 

unconsolidated ground-water system;

• Make a preliminary determination of how the 

shallow and deeper parts of the ground-water 

system interact with each other and the 

surface-water system;

• Address water quantity issues including 

estimating a water budget for the Colville 

River Watershed; and

• Evaluate the need for additional data required 

for the construction of a ground-water flow 

model.

Geologically, the basin can be grouped into three 

types of formations: bedrock, glacial drift, and valley 

alluvium. The bedrock, including mostly sedimentary, 

metamorphic, and intrusive igneous rocks, forms the 

hills and mountains of the basin and underlies the 

lowland areas at generally unknown depths. Glacial 

and alluvial deposits, including silt, sand, gravel, clay, 

and till, mantle much of the lowland areas and lower 

reaches of the hills and mountains. Sands and gravels 

deposited by outwash streams are significant sources of 

ground water in the basin.

Between August and November 2001, 362 wells 

were inventoried. Information gathered at all sites 

included site location, land-surface altitude, and wellconstruction details. Depth to water was measured in 

most of the inventoried wells. Water levels were 

measured again in May 2002 in about one-third of the 

inventoried wells.

Twenty-six hydrogeologic sections were 

constructed in order to identify and correlate 

hydrogeologic units based primarily on grain size and 

stratigraphic position. From the hydrogeologic 

sections, seven hydrogeologic units were identified in 

the study area:

• Upper outwash aquifer (UA);

• Till confining unit (TC);

• Older outwash aquifer (OA);

• Colville Valley confining unit (VC);

• Lower aquifer (LA);

• Lower confining unit (LC); and

• Bedrock (BR)

The Upper outwash aquifer is a discontinuous 

but productive and widely used aquifer composed 

mostly of glacial outwash. It exists in the stream 

valleys and terraces that are tributary to the Colville 

River and has an average thickness of 100 ft. The Till 

confining unit is a low-permeability unit consisting of 

glacial till that mantles much of the mountainous areas 

of the study area. It has an estimated average thickness 

of 70 ft. The Older outwash aquifer is a very 

discontinuous confined aquifer consisting of sand and 

gravel outwash underlying till and overlying bedrock. 

Its estimated average thickness is 20 ft. The Colville 

Valley confining unit is a thick and generally lowpermeability unit consisting mostly of glaciolacustrine 

silt and clay. It occurs throughout the Colville and Echo 

Valleys and has an average thickness of 150 ft. 

Discontinuous lenses of sand and gravel within the unit 

contribute usable quantities of water to some wells. 

The Lower aquifer consists of sand and some gravel 

and is likely continuous along the length of the Colville 

and Echo Valleys. It occurs beneath the Colville Valley 

confining unit and above bedrock. Thickness of the unit 

is about 60 ft. The Lower confining unit is a lowpermeability unit consisting of glaciolacustrine silt and 

clay that underlies the Lower aquifer in places. The 

Bedrock unit underlies all of the previously described 

units. Although a low-permeability unit, bedrock 

supplies water to numerous wells at generally low 

yields. The median values of horizontal hydraulic 

conductivity for the Upper outwash, Older outwash, 

and Lower aquifers are 84, 270, and 49 ft/d, 

respectively. 

Horizontal ground-water flow in the Upper 

outwash aquifer generally mimics the surface-water 

drainage pattern of the watershed where the unit 

occurs. Horizontal ground-water flow in the Lower 

aquifer from near Springdale to Chewelah is toward the 

north, from Chewelah to Colville it is north-northwest, 

and from Colville to Kettle Falls it is to the northwest. 

In Echo Valley, ground-water flow is south toward the 

Colville Valley. At the outlet of the basin, near Kettle 

Falls, ground-water flow directions are less certain, but 

likely diverge around a bedrock high near Meyers Falls.
Selected References 41

Synoptic discharge measurements were made to 

quantify the surface water reaching the Colville Valley 

floor, and to identify gaining and losing reaches over 

the unconsolidated valley deposits. A total of 52.9 ft3/s 

of tributary flow was measured at 21 sites at or near the 

sides of the Colville Valley during the SeptemberOctober 2001 low-flow seepage measurement. The 

average discharge leaving the valley, as measured at 

U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gaging station 

12409000, from September 4 to 13, 2001, was 47.2 

ft3/s. The difference, 5.7 ft3/s or 11.3 acre-ft/d, 

represents the loss of 10.8 percent of the flow reaching 

the valley floor.

Low-flow measurements indicate that during 

September 2001, the Colville River gained flow from 

the shallow ground-water system near its headwaters to 

Valley and lost flow to the shallow ground-water 

system from Valley to Chewelah. Downstream from 

Chewelah, the river generally lost flow, but amounts 

were small and possibly within measurement error. The 

results of the September-October 2001 low-flow 

seepage run represent conditions at only one point in 

time, therefore they should not be assumed to be 

representative of other periods. In September of 1960 

and 1961, for example, most reaches measured on the 

Colville River gained flow from the shallow system. 

Ground water/surface water interactions are not well 

understood over time and distance along the Colville 

River.

The Lower aquifer and the shallow ground-water 

system of the Colville Valley floor may act as fairly 

independent systems. Ground-water levels indicate that 

there are upward head gradients in the Lower aquifer. 

However, most reaches on the Colville River lost water 

to the ground-water system in September 2001. There 

may be some connection with the losing stream reaches 

and the Lower aquifer near the edges of the valley 

where the Valley confining unit is thinner or possibly 

absent.

Total surface- and ground-water withdrawals 

during 2001 were estimated to be 9,340 Mgal or 28,700 

acre-ft. Surface water supplied 65 percent of the total 

estimated withdrawals for the study basin, and ground 

water supplied 35 percent. Water use for 2001, as a 

percentage of the total, was 75.3 percent for irrigation, 

16.3 percent for public supply, 6.5 percent for private 

wells, and about 1 percent each for industrial and 

livestock use.

An approximate water budget, or distribution of 

precipitation, for a typical year in the Colville River 

Watershed shows that there are 27 in. of precipitation 

balanced by 4.2 in. of streamflow discharge from the 

basin, 0.3 in. of ground-water discharge from the basin, 

and 22.5 in. of evapotranspiration. 

Primary data needs noted during this study are 

for long-term ground-water level data, information on 

the depth to bedrock, a better understanding of the 

relation between the shallow ground-water system and 

the Colville River, baseline and long-term groundwater chemistry data, and the potential effects of 

ground-water development on the ground- and surfacewater systems.

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R.W., 1962, Theory of aquifer tests: U.S. Geological 

Survey Water-Supply Paper 1536-E, 174 p.

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Freeze, R.A., and Cherry, J.A., 1979, Groundwater: 

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George Maddox and Associates, Inc., 1981, An evaluation of 

the water production potential of the Colville River 

aquifer: George Maddox and Associates, Inc. [Spokane, 

Wash., under contract to] Washington Water Power, 

42 p. 

Howard, D.J., 1990, Geomorphology of Chamokane Creek 

below Ford, Washington: Cheney, Eastern Washington 

University, Master of Science thesis, 114 p. 

Humphreys, P.W.D., 1998, Ground and surface water 

interaction near a plywood manufacturing facility on 

the Lake Roosevelt shoreline, Kettle Falls, Washington: 

Bellingham, Western Washington University, Master of 

Science thesis, 207 p. 

Johnson, S.Y., Otton, J.K., and Macke, D.L., 1987, Geology 

of the Holocene surficial uranium deposit of the north 

fork of Flodelle Creek, northeastern Washington: 

Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 98, no. 1, 

p. 77-85. 

Jones, R.H.B., 1928, Notes on the geology of Chewelah 

quadrangle, Stevens County, Washington: Northwest 

Science, v. 2, no. 4, p. 111-116. 

Kiver, E.P., Moody, U.L., Ribgy, J.G., and Stradling, D.F., 

1991, Late Quaternary stratigraphy of the Columbia 

Basin and adjacent areas, in Baker and others, eds, 

Decade of North American Geology, Columbia Plateau: 

Geological Society of America, Boulder, p. 238-245.

Kiver, E.P., Rigby, J.G., and Stradling, D.F., 1979, Surficial 

geologic map of the Spokane quadrangle, Washington: 

Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources 

Open-File Report 79-11, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. 

Kiver, E.P., and Stradling, D.F., 1982, Quaternary geology of 

the Spokane area, in Roberts, S., and Fountain, D., eds., 

Tobacco Root Geological Society 1980 Field 

Conference Guidebook, Spokane, Washington, p. 26-

44.

Kiver, E.P., Stradling, D.F., and Moody, U.L., 1989, Glacial 

and multiple flood history of the northern 

borderlands—Trip B, in Joseph, N.L., and others, eds., 

Geologic guidebook for Washington and adjacent areas: 

Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources 

Information Circular 86, p. 321-335. 

Lasmanis, R., 1991, The Geology of Washington: Rocks and 

Minerals, v. 66, no. 4, July/August 1991, p. 262-277.
Selected References 43

Leavesley, G.H., Lichty, R.W., Troutman, B.M., and 

Saindon, L.G., 1983, Precipitation-runoff modeling 

system: User's manual: U.S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Report 83-4238, 207 p.

Matt, V.J., 1994, Hydrology and hydrogeology of the 

Spokane Indian Reservation, northeastern Washington 

State: Cheney, Eastern Washington University, Master 

of Science thesis, 209 p. 

McLucas, G.B., 1980, Surficial geology of the Springdale 

and Forest Center quadrangles, Stevens County, 

Washington: Washington Division of Geology and 

Earth Resources Open-File Report 80-3, 29 p., 2 pls. 

Miller, F.K., 2001, Geologic map of the Chewelah 30'×60' 

quadrangle, Washington and Oregon: U.S. Geological 

Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2354, 

56 p., 1 plate. 

Miller, F.K., and Clark, L.D., 1975, Geology of the 

Chewelah-Loon Lake area, Stevens and Spokane 

counties, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey 

Professional Paper 806, 74 p.

Mix, T.J., 1977, Water resources management program, 

Colville River Basin Technical report: Washington 

Department of Ecology, Policy Development Section, 

Water Resources Management Division, 49 p.

National Climatic Data Center, 2001, Climatological Data 

for Washington, September, 2001: National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration, v. 105, no. 9, p. 10.

Rantz, S.E., and others, 1982, Volume 1, Measurement of 

stage and discharge: U.S. Geological Survey Water–

Supply Paper 2175, 284 p.

Richmond, G.M., 1986, Tentative correlation of deposits of 

the Cordilleran Icesheet in the northern Rocky 

Mountains and related Quaternary history of the 

Columbia Plateau: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 5, 

p. 129-144.

Richmond, G.M., Fryxell, R., Neff, G.E., and Weiss, P.L., 

1965 The Cordilleran Ice sheet of the northern Rocky 

Mountains and related Quaternary history of the 

Columbia Plateau: in Wright, H.E., Jr., and Frey, D.G., 

eds., The Quaternary of the United States: Princeton, 

New Jersey, Princeton University Press, p. 231-242.

Russell, R.H., 1971, Generalized geology and hydrology of 

Stevens County, Washington: Washington Department 

of Ecology Technical Report 71-13, 16 p., 1 pl. 

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recharge and hydrograph of ground-water discharge to a 

stream: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 97-4253, 29 p.

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Colville River basin, Stevens County, Washington: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 69-251, 31 p. 

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Lake, Stevens County, Washington: Cheney, Eastern 

Washington University, Master of Science thesis, 164 p. 

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Korosec, M.A., and Bunning, B.B., 1991, Geologic 

map of Washington northeast quadrant: Washington 

Division of Geology and Earth Resources, Geologic 

map GM-39, scale 1:250,000.

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459 p., 155 pl.

———1991, State soil geographic data base (STATSGO): 

Miscellaneous Publication No. 1492, 88 p.

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Chewelah 1:100,000 quadrangle, Washington-Idaho: 

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Open File Report 90-14, 63 p., 1 pl. 

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ice sheet in Washington, Idaho, and Montana, in

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wr/asr/asr-home.html

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the town of Meyer Falls, Washington: State College of 

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44 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

GLOSSARY 

Acre-foot (acre-ft): The volume of water needed to cover an 

acre of land to a depth of 1 foot; equivalent to 43,560 cubic 

feet or 325,851 gallons. 

Alluvium: General term for sediments of gravel, sand, silt, 

clay, or other particulate rock material deposited by flowing 

water, usually in the beds of rivers and streams, on a flood 

plain, on a delta, or at the base of a mountain. 

Aquifer: A geologic formation, group of formations, or part 

of a formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable 

material to yield significant quantities of water to springs 

and wells. 

Bedrock: A general term used for solid rock that underlies 

soils or other unconsolidated material. 

Confined aquifer (artesian aquifer): An aquifer that is 

completely filled with water under pressure and that is 

overlain by material that restricts the movement of water. 

Confining layer: A body of impermeable or distinctly less 

permeable (see permeability) material stratigraphically 

adjacent to one or more aquifers that restricts the movement 

of water into and out of the aquifers. 

Cubic foot per second (ft3/s, or cfs): Rate of water 

discharge representing a volume of 1 cubic foot passing a 

given point during 1 second, equivalent to approximately 

7.48 gallons per second or 448.8 gallons per minute or 

0.02832 cubic meter per second. In a stream channel, a 

discharge of 1 cubic foot per second is equal to the discharge 

at a rectangular cross section, 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep, 

flowing at an average velocity of 1 foot per second. 

Direct runoff: The runoff entering stream channels 

promptly after rainfall or snowmelt. 

Discharge: The volume of fluid passing a point per unit of 

time, commonly expressed in cubic feet per second, million 

gallons per day, gallons per minute, or seconds per minute 

per day. 

Diversion: A turning aside or alteration of the natural course 

of a flow of water, normally considered physically to leave 

the natural channel.

Drainage area: The drainage area of a stream at a specified 

location is that area, measured in a horizontal plane, which is 

enclosed by a drainage divide. 

Drainage basin: The land area drained by a river or stream. 

Drainage divide: The boundary between adjoining drainage 

basins. 

Drawdown: The difference between the water level in a well 

before pumping and the water level in the well during 

pumping. Also, for flowing wells, the reduction of the 

pressure head as a result of the discharge of water. 

Drought: A prolonged period of less-than-normal 

precipitation such that the lack of water causes a serious 

hydrologic imbalance. 

Effluent: Outflow from a particular source, such as a stream 

that flows from a lake or liquid waste that flows from a 

factory or sewage-treatment plant. 

Evaporation: The process by which water is changed to gas 

or vapor; occurs directly from water surfaces and from the 

soil. 

Evapotranspiration: The process by which water is 

discharged to the atmosphere as a result of evaporation from 

the soil and surface-water bodies and transpiration by plants. 

Flood: Any relatively high streamflow that overflows the 

natural or artificial banks of a stream. 

Flood plain: A strip of relatively flat land bordering a stream 

channel that is inundated at times of high water. 

Fluvial deposit: A sedimentary deposit consisting of 

material transported by suspension or laid down by a river or 

stream. 

Freshet: A sudden overflow of a stream resulting from a 

heavy rain or a thaw.

Gaging station: A particular site on a stream, canal, lake, or 

reservoir where systematic observations of hydrologic data 

are obtained. 

Glacial: Of or relating to the presence and activities of ice or 

glaciers. 

Glacial drift: A general term for rock material transported 

by glaciers or icebergs and deposited directly on land or in 

the sea. 

Glacial lake: A lake that derives its water, or much of its 

water, from the melting of glacial ice; also a lake that 

occupies a basin produced by glacial erosion. 

Glacial outwash: Stratified detritus (chiefly sand and 

gravel) "washed out" from a glacier by meltwater streams 

and deposited in front of or beyond the end moraine or the 

margin of an active glacier. 

Granite/Granitic rock: A coarse-grained igneous rock. 

Ground water: In the broadest sense, all subsurface water; 

more commonly that part of the subsurface water in the 

saturated zone. 

Ground-water flow system: The underground pathway by 

which ground water moves from areas of recharge to areas of 

discharge. 

Headwaters: The source and upper part of a stream. 

Hydraulic conductivity: The capacity of a rock to transmit 

water. It is expressed as the volume of water that will move 

in unit time under a unit hydraulic gradient through a unit 

area measured at right angles to the direction of flow. 

Hydraulic gradient: The change of hydraulic head per unit 

of distance in a given direction. 

Hydraulic head: The height of the free surface of a body of 

water above a given point beneath the surface. 

Hydrograph: Graph showing variation of water elevation, 

velocity, streamflow, or other property of water with respect 

to time. 

Igneous rocks: Rocks that have solidified from molten or 

partly molten material. 
Glossary 45

Infiltration: The downward movement of water from the 

atmosphere into soil or porous rock. 

Instantaneous discharge: The volume of water that passes a 

point at a particular instant of time. 

Intermittent stream: A stream that flows only when it 

receives water from rainfall runoff or springs, or from some 

surface source such as melting snow. 

Lacustrine: Pertaining to, produced by, or formed in a lake. 

Lake stand: Temporary level of glacial lake lasting over a 

period of years.

Loess: Fine-grained deposit of wind-blown and winddeposited silt and fine sand. 

Long-term monitoring: The collection of data over a period 

of years or decades to assess changes in selected hydrologic 

conditions. 

Main stem: The principal trunk of a river or a stream. 

Median: The middle or central value in a distribution of data 

ranked in order of magnitude. The median is also known as 

the 50th percentile. 

Metamorphic rocks: Rocks derived from preexisting rocks 

by mineralogical, chemical, or structural changes 

(essentially in a solid state) in response to marked changes in 

temperature, pressure, shearing stress, and chemical 

environment at depth in the Earth's crust. 

Monitoring: Repeated observation, measurement, or 

sampling at a site, on a scheduled or event basis, for a 

particular purpose. 

Moraine: A mound, ridge, or other distinct accumulation of 

unsorted, unstratified glacial drift, predominantly till, 

deposited chiefly by direct action of glacier ice. 

Mouth: The place where a stream discharges to a larger 

stream, a lake, or the sea. 

Permeability: The capacity of a rock for transmitting a 

fluid; a measure of the relative ease with which a porous 

medium can transmit a liquid. 

Potentiometric surface: An imaginary surface that 

represents the total head in an aquifer. It represents the 

height above a datum plane at which the water level stands in 

tightly cased wells that penetrate the aquifer. 

Precipitation: Any or all forms of water particles that fall 

from the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, hail, and sleet.

Reach: A continuous part of a stream between two specified 

points. 

Recharge (ground water): The process involved in the 

absorption and addition of water to the zone of saturation; 

also, the amount of water added. 

Runoff: That part of precipitation or snowmelt that appears 

in streams or surface-water bodies. 

Sedimentary rocks: Rocks formed by the consolidation of 

loose sediment that has accumulated in layers. 

Shale: A fine-grained sedimentary rock formed by the 

consolidation of clay, silt, or mud. 

Siltstone: An indurated silt having the texture and 

composition of shale but lacking its fine lamination. 

Spring: Place where a concentrated discharge of ground 

water flows at the ground surface. 

Streamflow: The discharge of water in a natural channel. 

Surface runoff: Runoff that travels over the land surface to 

the nearest stream channel. 

Surface water: An open body of water such as a lake, river, 

or stream. 

Terminal moraine: The end moraine extending across a 

glacial plain or valley as an arcuate or crescent ridge that 

marks the farthest advance or maximum extent of a glacier. 

Till: Predominantly unsorted and unstratified drift, deposited 

directly by and underneath a glacier without subsequent 

reworking by meltwater, and consisting of a heterogeneous 

mixture of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and boulders. 

Transmissivity: The rate at which water is transmitted 

through a unit width of an aquifer under a unit hydraulic 

gradient. It equals the hydraulic conductivity multiplied by 

the aquifer thickness. 

Transpiration: The process by which water passes through 

living organisms, primarily plants, into the atmosphere. 

Tributary: A river or stream flowing into a larger river, 

stream or lake. 

Unconfined aquifer: An aquifer whose upper surface is a 

water table free to fluctuate under atmospheric pressure. 

Unconsolidated deposit: Deposit of loosely bound sediment 

that typically fills topographically low areas. 

Watershed: See drainage basin. 

Water table: The top water surface of an unconfined aquifer 

at atmospheric pressure. 

Water year: A continuous 12-month period selected to 

present data relative to hydrologic or meteorological 

phenomena during which a complete annual hydrologic 

cycle normally occurs. The water year used by the U.S. 

Geological Survey runs from October 1 through September 

30, and is designated by the year in which it ends. 

Withdrawal: Water removed from the ground or diverted 

from a surface-water source for use. 
46 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well

29N/41E- 02M01 AGG 500 480223 1173622 UA 2,390 58 58 – 10-02-01

05-13-02

10.53R

7.92

DR

02M02 ABT 272 480218 1173613 UA 2,400 46 44 – – – DR

02M03 AGG 021 480223 1173618 UA 2,390 50 47 – 10-02-01 30 DR

02M04 – 480218 1173613 BR 2,400 117 117 – – – DR

04C03 – 480246 1173837 BR 2,440 125 125 – 10-03-01

05-13-02

30.45

71.79R

DR

04F01 ACV 998 480231 1173856 BR 2,680 400 400 – 10-03-01 56.60R DR

10C01 ACW 891 480150 1173712 UA/BR 2,400 91 77 – 09-19-01 16.29 DR

10C02 ACW 892 480150 1173713 UA 2,400 105 100 – 09-19-01 15.03 DR

30N/39E- 01G01 – 480754 1174954 UA 2,220 40 40 – 11-13-01 -.65F DR

01G02 – 480747 1174940 TC 2,200 160 156 6.2 11-13-01

05-14-02

2.68

1.24

DR

01L01 AEJ 504 480733 1175000 BR 2,160 120 120 – 11-13-01 -5F DR

13F01 ACM 481 480604 1175009 BR 2,440 70 70 – 10-15-01 42.55 DR

14G01 – 480610 1175109 LA 2,415 180 173 – 10-15-01 16.93 DR

14G02 – 480604 1175102 UA 2,400 16 16 – 10-15-01 11.70 –

24D02 – 480522 1175020 OA 2,460 60 59 – 10-15-01 41.50 DR

24L01 – 480504 1175008 – 2,460 – 70 – 10-15-01 46.15 –

30N/40E- 04R01 – 480727 1174539 LA 1,690 198 198 – 09-24-01 -15F DR

10N02 – 480628 1174514 LA 1,800 130 129 – 09-26-01

05-14-02

46.19

44.89

–

DR

12A01 ACV 806 480715 1174142 LA 2,180 196 195 91 – – DR

14M01 ACV 876 480556 1174349 BR 2,320 520 520 – 09-24-01 293.19R DR

15E01 – 480600 1174523 LA 1,810 240 240 – – – DR

15E02 – 480600 1174523 LA 1,810 258 248 – 09-26-01

05-14-02

14.83R

12.12R

DR

15Q01 ABM 770 480542 1174445 BR 1,980 225 225 – 10-16-01

05-14-02

91.45

84.76

DR

16G01 – 480601 1174601 LA 1,800 293 293 – 09-24-01 15.58R DR

16L01 – 480557 1174607 LA 1,800 300 300 – 09-24-01 4.76R DR

16L02D1 AAL 643 480549 1174605 LA 1,800 310 305 11 09-24-01

05-14-02

-.07F

–F

DR

20B01 – 480528 1174715 VC 2,060 255 235 – – – DR

20F01 ACC 894 480518 1174724 VC 2,100 160 159 – 09-24-01

05-14-02

38.00R

10.1

DR

21H01 – 480515 1174529 LA 1,900 240.5 239 – 09-24-01

05-15-02

51.20

48.81

DR

21J02 ABI 928 480506 1174526 LA 1,900 160 159 – 10-01-01

05-14-02

36.38

34.38

DR

28A01D1 – 480434 1174537 LA 1,945 240 240 24 09-24-01

05-14-02

50.05

49.11

DR
Table 11 47

30N/40E- 33R01R1 AFF310 480305 1174532 VC 2,020 195 190 – – – DR

33R02 AFR966 480305 1174533 VC 2,020 340 340 – – – DR

34A01 – 480341 1174421 UA 2,080 17 17 – – – –

34G01 – 480328 1174435 UA 2,040 150 150 2,400 10-26-01

05-15-02

73.18

67.78R

DR

35C01 AFN 049 480346 1174326 UA 2,160 98 97 – 11-13-01

05-13-02

61.00

58.77

DR

30N/41E- 04G02 ACV 943 480747 1173812 UA 2,540 199 198 – 10-16-01

05-13-02

178.68

173.45

DR

04N01 ACV 944 480730 1173853 UA 2,480 143 143 – 10-16-01 124.60 DR

04P01 – 480727 1173839 UA 2,480 95 64 – – – DR

04P02 ACN 585 480727 1173839 UA 2,480 180 178 – 10-02-01

05-13-02

153.73R

152.22R

DR

10R02 – 480628 1173627 UA 2,500 245 185 – 09-19-01 102.35 DR

12R01 – 480634 1173403 BR 2,660 297 – – – – DR

12R02 – 480634 1173403 BR 2,660 247 – – – – DR

12R03 – 480634 1173403 BR 2,660 197 – – – – DR

12R04 – 480634 1173403 UA 2,660 67 – – – – DR

12R05 – 480634 1173403 UA 2,660 59 59 – – – DR

13H01 ABR 773 480608 1173358 UA/BR 2,500 60 59 – 09-19-01 20.34 DR

13H02 AFB 493 480604 1173401 BR 2,500 120 119 – 09-19-01 21.90 DR

13H03 – 480607 1173359 – 2,500 – – – – – –

15B04 AAL 029 480617 1173654 UA 2,510 242 241 – 09-28-01

05-13-02

140.00R

122.71R

DR

15B05 AAK 940 480615 1173704 UA 2,510 165 161 – 10-16-01

05-13-02

134.49

122.56

DR

15L04 – 480555 1173720 UA 2,500 300 300 – 10-02-01

05-13-02

130.52R

125.82R

DR

15M01 – 480548 1173744 UA 2,460 171 171 – 10-17-01 97.34 DR

18L01 AEJ O37 480557 1174109 UA 2,290 480 480 – 09-18-01 52.39R DR

28J01 – 480408 1173748 UA 2,420 120 119 – 09-28-01

05-13-02

78.18R

79.90

DR

28Q02 – 480358 1173809 UA 2,420 140 138 – 09-28-01

05-13-02

68.29R

68.26

DR

33H01 – 480328 1173746 UA 2,410 66 66 77 – – DR

34C02 ACW 893 480342 1173723 UA 2,410 198 198 – 09-19-01

05-13-02

58.50R

47.51

DR

34D01 AAK 927 480342 1173726 UA 2,410 104 104 – 09-21-01 53.37 DR

34Q03 ABR 226 480304 1173655 UA 2,400 36 36 – 09-19-01 14.46T DR

34Q04 ABR 227 480304 1173655 UA/BR 2,400 50 50 – 09-19-01 14.28R DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
48 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

31N/39E- 03A04 AEJ 596 481316 1175157 BR 2,540 260 260 – 09-18-01 15.53 DR

13A02 – 481137 1174935 BR 2,200 – 98 – 09-18-01 10.25 –

13A03 – 481137 1174934 BR 2,200 260 260 – 09-18-01 9.44R DR

31N/40E- 02A01 – 481315 1174252 n/a 1,645 121 – – – – DR

02P01 – 481233 1174350 LA 1,660 270 270 – – – DR

03C01 ACG 420 481319 1174506 BR 1,800 220 205 – 11-07-01 132.71 DR

16L02 – 481111 1174620 VC 2,000 237 235 – 10-03-01 159.90R DR

16L04 – 481106 1174614 VC 1,970 221 221 14 09-21-01

05-14-02

141.65

141.32R

DR

17A01 AGG 001 481131 1174648 VC 2,070 257 257 930 10-09-01 216.15 DR

17A02 – 481134 1174648 VC 2,070 302 302 150 10-09-01 213.48 DR

20F02 – 481029 1174735 BR 2,030 180 180 – 11-13-01

05-14-02

19.53

16.30

DR

22B02 – 481037 1174432 LA 1,670 205 205 38 10-26-01 –F DR

22F02 ACV 878 481026 1174501 BR 1,690 423 423 – 10-16-01

05-13-02

44.01R

96.90R

DR

23K01 ABT 268 481018 1174316 UA 1,760 195 195 – 10-19-01

05-13-02

68.08

66.38

DR

23K02 ACG 570 481018 1174316 UA 1,760 198 189 – 10-09-01 68.86 DR

25P01 – 480908 1174218 UA 2,030 – 60 – 10-09-01 41.56

25Q01 ACL 281 480903 1174204 UA 2,040 98 98 – 09-18-01

05-14-02

40.83

34.01

DR

26K01 – 480926 1174325 UA 1,740 125 110 – – – DR

26K03 – 480926 1174321 UA 1,760 100 100 78 10-26-01

05-14-02

45.94

44.80

DR

26K04 – 480912 1174317 UA 1,760 100 97.5 – 10-26-01 64.39 DR

26Q01 – 480903 1174321 UA 1,760 100 95 – 10-26-01

05-14-02

41.86

40.56

DR

26R02 – 480908 1174317 UA 1,760 100 100 – – – DR

31N/41E- 05N03 AAK 108 481240 1174006 UA 2,080 900 580 – 09-18-01 263.24 DR

07B01 AEP 957 481219 1174035 BR 1,810 200 195 – 10-01-01

05-15-02

25.46R

20.46R

DR

08B01 – 481226 1173930 UA 2,050 300 297.5 – – – DR

11A01 ABQ 878 481211 1173516 LA 2,580 270 270 – 10-01-01 36.82R DR

30P01 – 480901 1174054 UA/VC 2,060 225 200 – 09-17-01

05-15-02

11.16

7.61

DR

31E02 – 480843 1174121 UA 2,060 80 80 – 10-09-01

05-13-02

46.36

37.83

DR

31M02 – 480837 1174121 UA/LA 2,045 297 251 – 10-09-01

05-13-02

31.18

20.71

DR

31M03 – 480837 1174122 UA 2,045 68 59 – – – DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
Table 11 49

31N/41E- 32B01 ABQ 922 480860 1173929.4 UA 2,210 140 140 – 09-18-01

05-15-02

61.94R

63.35R

DR

32F01 – 480839 1173943 UA 2,240 180 180 – – – DR

32F02 480841 1173941.9 BR 2,240 400 400 – 09-17-01

05-14-02

114.29

122.76R

DR

32H01 – 480842 1173916 BR 2,300 340 340 – 10-01-01

05-15-02

65.60R

51.24R

DR

32N/38E- 15A01 – 481652 1175959 BR 2,550 78 78 4.4 09-17-01 2.48 DR

21C01 ACM 903 481553 1180143 BR 3,000 160 160 – 09-17-01 33.44 DR

32N/39E- 04D01 – 481829 1175423 UA 2,100 70 53 – 10-02-01

05-16-02

24.26R

15.06

DR

05A01 ABQ 867 481819 1175439 LA 2,250 257 257 – 09-25-01

05-16-02

201.93R

201.42

DR

12D01 ACQ 182 481729 1175035 BR 2,210 440 440 .0011 – – DR

32N/40E- 01B01 – 481821 1174208 BR 2,060 400 360 – – – DR

01G01 – 481812 1174202 BR 2,040 340 340 – 09-26-01

05-13-02

148.48R

148.21

DR

–

02P01 ABJ 655 481752 1174339 UA 1,735 40 40 – 10-01-01

05-13-02

4.13

3.03

DR

03G01 – 481814 1174435 UA 1,790 30 30 – – – DR

03G02 BGG 485 481818 1174440 UA 1,800 30 30 – – – –

03H01 – 481820 1174423 UA 1,790 – 24 – – – DR

03H02 – 481816 1174430 UA 1,800 35 35 – – – –

03H03 – 481817 1174426 – 1,790 – – – – – –

03K01 AFA 294 481759 1174450 UA 1,760 125 125 180 09-25-01

05-13-02

90.02

87.85

DR

–

04R01 – 481744 1174534 BR 1,670 245 245 – 09-25-01 19.68 DR

05K01 AAK 103 481759 1174716 LA 1,640 292 292 – 09-25-01 –F DR

10A01 – 481723 1174419 n/a 1,770 2471 – – – – DR

11F04 AAK 102 481723 1174340 UA 1,710 118 118 – 10-10-01

05-14-02

27.47

25.25

DR

12N01 – 481653 1174245 – 1,675 – 380 – – – –

14H01 – 481625 1174311 LA 1,660 175 175 – 08-29-01

05-15-02

5.37

–F

DR

15F01 AAJ 898 481636 1174508 VC 1,700 78 78 80 09-25-01 36.50R DR

15G02 – 481636 1174442 LA 1,630 250 250 – 09-25-01 –F DR

15M02 ACM 923 481614 1174517 UA 1,900 165 165 – 09-17-01

05-13-02

94.64

94.97

DR

15R01 – 481600 1174414 LA 1,630 362 362 15,000 – – DR

15R02 AGG 484 481600 1174414 LA 1,630 – 350 – – – –

15R03 – 481600 1174414 LA 1,630 390 390 – 08-29-01 -3.39S DR

22G01 – 481535 1174441 UA 1,820 220 219 – 09-25-01 145.82 DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
50 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

32N/40E- 23J01 – 481524 1174254 – 1,630 80 80 – – – –

24E01 – 481539 1174250 n/a 1,635 60 – – – – DR

24F01 AAJ 876 481531 1174222 TC 1,660 119 118 5.1 – – DR

24N01 ACF 576 481510 1174249 LA 1,650 100 100 – 10-10-01 –F DR

25N01 AEB 821 481421 1174239 LA 1,650 168 160 – 10-16-01

05-14-02

13.79

6.36

DR

26A01 – 481504 1174256 LA 1,660 198 198 3.8 10-01-01 –F DR

27E02 – 481453 1174512 BR 1,880 600 600 – – – DR

27R01 – 481415 1174416 BR 1,690 – 200 – 11-07-01 36.60 –

05-13-02 31.11R

28G01D1 – 481452 1174605 VC 2,100 345 345 – 10-16-01

05-14-02

127.38

115.07R

DR

–

28H01 – 481454 1174540 UA 2,000 205 205 – 10-17-01

05-15-02

47.84R

38.23

DR

–

28L01 – 481433 1174622 UA/VC 2,070 260 259 – 10-16-01

05-14-02

95.66

93.38

DR

–

28L02 AAL 649 481427 1174620 VC 2,060 160 158 – – – DR

28R01 – 481422 1174535 LA 1,900 120 120 – 10-16-01

05-14-02

10.13

7.63

DR

29C01 – 481454 1174732 UA 2,110 190 190 – 10-02-01 48.18 DR

33B01D1 – 481412 1174553 BR 1,990 180 180 – 10-16-01

05-14-02

60.85

60.05

DR

35M01 – 481342 1174356 – 1,700 – 96 – 11-07-01

05-13-02

32.49

28.02R

–

35N01 AEJ 597 481334 1174400 BR 1,680 420 420 – 11-07-01

05-13-02

37.42

32.03

DR

32N/41E- 05P01 ACV 822 481752 1173936 BR 2,440 200 200 – 10-01-01 12.44 DR

07N01 AAJ 884 481702 1174133 BR 1,880 186 174 1.3 10-10-01

05-15-02

71.03

76.43R

DR

19E01 – 481531 1174125 BR 1,680 280 280 – 10-01-01 43.00R DR

33N/38E- 03F01 ABP 471 482315 1180034 BR 2,860 100 100 – 10-11-01 19.50 DR

33N/39E- 02E01 – 482323 1175152 VC 1,610 37 35 – 08-28-01 9.27 –

03P01D1 – 482257 1175256 BR 1,760 150 150 – – – DR

05L01 AFF 382 482314 1175523 BR 2,140 320 320 – 10-11-01 47.80 DR

10R02 – 482210 1175211 LA 1,640 240 240 – – – DR

10R03 – 482211 1175212 LA 1,640 250 250 180 10-11-01

05-14-02

0.65

–F

DR

11L01 – 482219 1175133 – 1,620 – 90 – 11-14-01

05-14-02

15.47

13.23R

–

13C01 – 482150 1175017 LA 1,610 523 520 34 – – DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
Table 11 51

33N/39E- 13C02 AGG 004 482150 1175017 LA 1,610 489 488 28 08-28-01

05-14-02

10.97R

3.20

DR

13F01 – 482149 1175017 LA 1,610 668 639 530 – – DR

15J01 – 482122 1175210 LA/BR 1,660 329 313 – 08-28-01

05-14-02

40.68R

15.91

DR

23A01 – 482100 1175101 UA 1,650 – 17.1 – 08-28-01

05-14-02

8.48

7.14

–

–

23A02 – 482101 1175102 UA 1,650 400 379 40 08-28-01

05-14-02

8.76

7.30

DR

23J01 – 482035 1175049 LA 1,636 340 340 – 10-04-01

05-13-02

34.57

18.28

DR

–

24E01 – 482055 1175037 VC 1,630 230 220 86 08-28-01 15.76P DR

24G01 – 482055 1174955 n/a 1,611 92 – – – – DG

24K01 – 482034 1174955 VC/LA 1,680 315 310 – – – DR

25D01 – 482010 1175028 LA 1,630 345 340 1.1 08-28-01

05-13-02

2.65

–F

DR

33N01 ABP 470 481840 1175436 BR 2,340 600 600 – 10-04-01 116.48 DR

33N/40E- 25E01 AAJ 980 481958 1174258 BR 2,690 600 600 – – – DR

27J01 – 481946 1174432 UA 2,090 200 200 – 10-15-01

05-13-02

159.00

159.60

DR

27K01 ACA 309 481945 1174452 – 2,110 300 300 – 10-15-01

05-15-02

167.28

167.78

DR

27Q01 – 481930 1174442 UA 2,100 210 210 270 10-15-01

05-14-02

181.87

182.46

DR

31F01 AAJ 988 481901 1174851 LA 1,680 178 178 – 10-09-01

05-16-02

58.87

56.87

DR

34G01D1 – 481910 1174444 UA 2,090 375 373 60 08-29-01 224P DR

34G02 AGG 488 481910 1174444 UA 2,090 300 300 85 08-29-01

05-15-02

187.46S

188.83S

DR

34H01D1 ABR 520 481909 1174431 UA 2,080 240 240 95 08-09-01 184.86R DR

34H02 AGG 486 481908 1174430 UA 2,080 250 250 210 – – DR

34J01R2 AGG 487 481855 1174430 UA 2,075 301 270 22 – – DR

34L01 ACV 801 481853 1174511 UA 2,080 312 310 7.5 10-17-01

05-15-02

195.41

197.31R

DR

35P01 – 481834 1174345 UA 1,860 185 179 – 05-13-02 86.81 DR

10-18-01 91.41

35P02 AEP 704 481833 1174345 UA 1,860 120 120 – 05-13-02 84.00 DR

10-18-01 88.37

36H01 – 481909 1174152 BR 2,200 380 380 – – – DR

33N/41E- 28A01 AAL 638 482010 1173746 LA 2,690 165 163 – 10-10-01

05-15-02

39.67

37.91R

DR

30B01 – 482013 1174045 VC 2,300 197 191 – 10-09-01 –F DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
52 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

34N/38E- 03B01 – 482850 1180032 OA 2,740 80 79 – 10-17-01 -1.31F DR

04A01 AEJ 543 482854 1180108 TC/BR 2,880 120 120 – – – DR

12G01 – 482737 1175754 BR 2,240 320 320 – 09-20-01

05-16-02

61.68

62.03

DR

13E01 ABP 463 482649 1175814 UA 2,180 79 79 – 10-18-01

05-14-02

14.94

7.53

DR

13M01 AFN 011 482639 1175828 BR 2,190 300 300 – 10-17-01

05-14-02

40.95

35.34

DR

14J01 – 482631 1175836 BR 2,250 122 122 – 10-18-01 80.81 DR

21R01 – 482535 1180129 UA 2,900 40 28 – 09-25-01 9.91R DR

23D01 – 482604 1175939 OA 2,420 107 107 – – – DR

34N/39E- 02C01 – 482844 1175134 BR 2,000 260 260 – 09-26-01 109.64 DR

02H01 ABV 436 482832 1175058 BR 1,860 420 420 – 09-27-01

05-14-02

103.69

106.92

DR

03R01 – 482814 1175213 BR 1,780 300 300 – 09-26-01

05-14-02

53.10R

68.59P

DR

04P02 – 482804 1175403 LA 1,600 65 64 – 09-26-01 –F DR

09C01 – 482760 1175410 UA/BR 1,605 100 100 – – – DR

09J01 – 482724 1175322 LA 1,720 280 278 – – – DR

09P01 – 482717 1175407 VC/BR 1,820 180 180 – – – DR

09R01 – 482718 1175323 BR 1,720 460 460 – 09-26-01

05-15-02

117.65

117.53R

DR

10H02 – 482739 1175204 UA 1,625 – 15.8 – 10-10-01 12.70 –

10J03 – 482728 1175209 VC 1,625 120 115 – 10-09-01

05-15-02

1.45

.32

DR

10M01 ACC 875 482734 1175311 UA 1,580 35 35 – – – DR

10M02 AAK 222 482731 1175307 UA 1,580 40 34 – 10-09-01

05-15-02

6.18

4.69

DR

10N03 – 482711 1175318 LA 1,680 215 212 – 09-20-01

05-16-02

54.59R

52.72R

DR

10P01 AGG 009 482723 1175247 VC 1,590 38 38 – 10-11-01

05-14-02

12.82R

11.25R

DR

10P02 AGG 010 482714 1175249 VC 1,590 60 50 – 10-11-01

05-14-02

8.18R

10.60R

DR

11C01 – 482753 1175138 UA 1,820 225 225 – 09-26-01

05-14-02

191.65

192.13

DR

11G02 ACF 504 482741 1175119 UA 1,885 292 292 – 09-27-01

05-14-02

173.62

173.12

DR

16C01 – 482709 1175359 LA/BR 1,835 123 123 – – – DR

22G01 – 482602 1175237 LA 1,600 151 151 – – – DR

22R01 ACT 458 482537 1175211 LA 1,620 185 160 – 09-27-01

05-15-02

26.12R

24.28

DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
Table 11 53

34N/39E- 23M01 AAL 631 482541 1175159 LA 1,611 140 140 56 10-10-01

05-15-02

17.82

16.14

DR

23Q01 – 482539 1175109 VC 1,685 131 131 – – – DR

23Q02D1 – 482536 1175103 LA 1,666 179 – – 10-10-01 64.38 DR

23Q03 – 482532 1175113 n/a 1,640 46 – – – – DR

25M01 – 482451 1175025 BR 1,740 305 305 – 10-23-01

05-14-02

134.05R

85.87

DR

–

25M02 – 482450 1175028 UA 1,720 100 100 – 10-12-01

05-14-02

2.93

2.94

DR

–

26B01 – 482522 1175108 n/a 1,642 54.5 54.5 – – – DR

26K01 – 482458 1175105 n/a 1,640 42 42 – – – DR

26N01 – 482445 1175160 BR 1,720 300 300 – – – DR

26P01 – 482442 1175130 LA 1,600 140 139 – 10-12-01

05-14-02

3.19

1.45

DR

–

26Q01 – 482444 1175113 LA 1,630 240 239 – – – DR

26R01 – 482439 1175059 n/a 1,660 44.5 – – – – DR

35A01D1 – 482424 1175050 VC 1,660 150 148 – 09-27-01

05-14-02

67.76

66.81R

DR

35A02 – 482422 1175102 LA 1,640 140 140 – 09-27-01

05-14-02

36.06

34.29R

DR

35H01 – 482413 1175048 UA 1,715 210 210 – 09-20-01

05-16-02

109.38

108.38

DR

–

35P01 – 482352 1175126 UA 1,780 177 177 – 09-27-01

05-14-02

147.42

145.93

DR

–

36P01 ACT 868 482428 1174952 BR 1,880 400 400 – – – DR

34N/40E- 11D01 AGG 665 482756 1174415 BR 2,120 600 600 – 10-15-01 86.7 DR

11F01 ACV 889 482741 1174349 LA 2,030 145 144 – 10-17-01

05-14-02

36.57

35.51

DR

19M01 ACF 570 482547 1174919 BR 2,360 700 700 – 10-09-01 –F DR

30M01 – 482449 1174907 UA/BR 2,180 200 200 – 10-17-01

05-14-02

12.66

9.78

DR

35N/38E- 01E01 – 483348 1175840 UA 1,950 60 60 1,200 10-18-01

05-15-02

41.32

32.24

DR

11A01 ACV 855 483305 1175851 TC 2,080 124 124 2.5 10-11-01 30.84 DR

11A02 AEJ 006 483303 1175854 BR 2,090 540 540 – 10-11-01

05-15-02

43.3

39.24

DR

11M01 AEP 732 483241 1175945 TC 2,320 90 90 28 10-12-01 14.72 DR

12R01 ABP 496 483226 1175732 BR 1,960 440 440 – – – DR

27P01 482951 1180051 BR 3,020 160 160 – 10-13-01 12.11R DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
54 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

35N/39E- 01D01 AEH 427 483405 1175040 TC 2,210 125 125 – 09-26-01 67.48R DR

02B01 483405 1175119 VC 2,040 147 146 – 10-16-01 2.47R DR

02C01D2 ABV 413 483404 1175132 LA 2,010 218 210 – 09-26-01 –F DR

05F01 – 483347 1175541 LA 1,555 80 80 – 10-16-01 –F DR

05F02 – 483345 1175535 LA/BR 1,550 505 505 – 10-16-01 25.65R DR

06D01 ABV 327 483356 1175709 TC/BR 1,575 300 300 – 09-24-01

05-15-02

29.99

26.49

DR

06K01 AAK 204 483332 1175642 LA 1,540 255 250 – 09-24-01 -12F DR

07K01 AEQ 452 483247 1175626 LA 1,560 200 200 – – – DR

09J01 – 483250 1175327 UA 1,760 90 90 – – – DR

10B02B – 483313 1175225 OA 1,890 212 210 – – – DR

AGG 490 483313 1175226 OA 1,890 254 254 270 09-25-01 25.50R DR

10B03 AGG 492 483317 1175227 OA 1,890 236 235 – – – DR

10B04 AGG 491 483314 1175226 UA 1,890 200 200 240 09-25-01 26.95R DR

10N01 – 483231 1175324 UA 1,740 48 48 81 – – DR

11A01 – 483316 1175053 OA 2,190 188 188 – – – DR

11A02 – 483315 1175045 BR 2,190 100 100 – – – DR

11Q03 AGG 493 483237 1175120 UA 2,000 50 50 – 09-25-01 1.35 DR

11R01 ABR 829 483235 1175100 UA 2,060 121 118 – 09-25-01 13.32R DR

11R02A – 483235 1175104 UA 2,030 198 198 – – – DR

11R02B AGG 494 483235 1175103 UA 2,030 100 100 83 09-25-01 3.24 DR

11R03 ABV 350 483235 1175121 UA 2,000 113 113 1.9 – – DR

11R04 – 483236 1175047 UA 2,180 120 120 – 10-16-01 76.98 DR

11R05 ABV 338 483237 1175120 UA 2,000 70 62 140 09-25-01 -1.58F DR

12H01 – 483253 1174927 BR 2,255 78 78 – 09-27-01 41.43 DR

12Q01 ACF 558 483233 1175002 UA 2,210 180 180 – 09-26-01 85.53R DR

12R02 ABR 231 483226 1174934 UA 2,210 146 146 190 09-25-01 71.04R DR

14E02 ABQ 928 483201 1175157 BR 1,960 306 306 – – – DR

16F01 – 483203 1175406 BR 1,590 196 196 – – – DR

18A01 – 483215 1175624 UA 1,580 40 38 – 11-06-01

05-15-02

11.07

-1.24F

DR

18B01D1 ABJ 029 483222 1175636 BR 1,630 540 540 – – – DR

20K01 – 483056 1175524 VC 1,555 110 110 – 09-24-01 –F DR

21E01 AAK 224 483107 1175429 LA 1,550 262 262 – 09-25-01 –F DR

23B01 – 483130 1175120 BR 2,280 280 280 – 09-27-01

05-14-02

262.45

266.85

DR

23F01 – 483117 1175124 BR 2,160 328 328 – – – DR

23F02 – 483116 1175133 BR 2,080 320 320 – 09-27-01 113.5P DR

27C01 – 483026 1175249 OA/BR 2,110 123 103 – 10-14-01 11.57 DR

27C02 – 483028 1175260 OA/BR 2,160 123 98 – – – DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
Table 11 55

35N/39E- 32H01D1 AEP 702 482925 1175458 LA 1,575 310 310 – 10-11-01 –F DR

32L01 – 482917 1175538 VC 1,880 241 241 – 10-13-01

05-15-02

195.33

194.32

DR

32N01 – 482857 1175601 BR 2,080 502 502 – 10-11-01 69.60 DR

32P01D1 – 482857 1175536 LA 1,880 288 287 28 – – DR

32P02 – 482857 1175537 LA/BR 1,880 290 290 – – – DR

33E01 ACV 856 482926 1175429 VC 1,570 73 73 130 10-06-01

05-15-02

8.32

5.45

DR

35N/40E- 06L01 ABV 306 483332 1174902 BR 2,550 400 400 – – – DR

19B01 ACC 919 483120 1174842 BR 2,220 420 420 – 09-25-01 173.22P DR

21L01 ABQ 897 483055 1174638 BR 2,415 380 380 – – – DR

27J01 – 482960 1174424 OA 2,460 105 104 – 09-20-01 83.04R DR

29N01 ACV 881 482951 1174805 OA 2,180 120 119 – 09-21-01 5.32 DR

31G01 – 482928 1174832 UA 2,120 215 214 – –

09-24-01

–

161.98

DR

31G02 – 482926 1174836 UA 2,160 290 260 – DR

33J01 – 482916 1174554 BR 2,335 171 171 – 10-17-01

05-14-02

17.27

18.20

DR

33R02 AAJ 986 482904 1174543 OA 2,260 72 72 – – – DR

36F01 AFF 391 482923 1174233 TC 2,380 98 98 – 09-25-01 8.76 DR

35N/41E- 08E01 AEJ 005 483259 1174027 UA 3,200 100 100 – 09-20-01 68.75 DR

08M01 AEP 703 483248 1174023 UA 3,120 80 70 – – – DR

14C01 – 483210 1173616 UA 3,020 63 60 – – – DR

14E01 ACT 841 483201 1173621 UA 3,020 260 260 – – – DR

15E01 – 483200 1173749 BR 3,100 193 189 – – – DR

21F01 ABZ 960 483114 1173834 UA/BR 2,890 345 338 – – – DR

21P01 – 483042 1173835 BR 2,965 320 320 – – – DR

21P02 – 483044 1173841 UA 2,880 120 118 – – – DR

36N/37E- 25R01 – 483458 1180456 LA 1,587 316 306 – – – DG

36A01 – 483444 1180456 LA 1,580 300 300 310 10-18-01 286.85 DR

36B01 – 483447 1180533 LA 1,530 274 274 – 10-18-01 232.17 DR

36G01 – 483442 1180517 LA 1,530 292 278 – – – DG

36H01 – 483442 1180502 LA 1,560 340 292 – – – DR

36H02 – 483440 1180513 LA 1,580 293 266 – – – DR

36N/38E- 21C01 ACT 809 483641 1180201 BR 1,680 320 320 – – – DR

21J01 AAK 025 483607 1180127 LA 1,570 304 299 – 10-16-01 244.05 DR

21J02 ABP 457 483607 1180119 LA 1,570 374 374 – 10-16-01

05-15-02

226.60R

226.82

DR

26E01 – 483530 1175932 LA 1,565 280 279 – 05-15-02

10-18-01

18.28

20.60

DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
56 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

36N/38E- 26M01 – 483509 1175944 BR 1,530 340 340 – 11-07-01

05-16-02

34.65R

87.05R

DR

26N01 – 483454 1175944 LA 1,565 170 169 – 11-07-01 – DR

27H01 AGH 581 483530 1180007 LA 1,540 585 584 – 11-06-01

05-16-02

142.42

142.91

DR

29J01 ACF 580 483517 1180224 BR 1,615 780 780 – 10-16-01

05-16-02

312.15

324.94

DR

30G01 – 483523 1180411 LA 1,389 215 215 – 09-25-01 100.71R DR

30K01 – 483513 1180403 LA 1,380 647 169 – – – DR

30K02 – 483523 1180411 LA 1,390 178 177 – – – DR

30K03 – 483513 1180404 LA 1,380.5 199 192 – 09-25-01 89.9R DR

30K04 – 483516 1180413 LA 1,410 226 226 130 09-25-01 115 DR

30K05 – 483518 1180404 LA 1,400 258 258 – – – DR

30K06 – 483513 1180410 LA 1,400 185 185 – 09-25-01

05-15-02

106.46

100.09

DR

30K07 AHC 045 483513 1180410 LA 1,410 157 155 290 09-25-01

05-15-02

109.54

103.15

DR

30N01 – 483502 1180447 LA 1,625 350 350 – 10-18-01 322.06 DR

30N02 – 483503 1180446 LA 1,620 345 329 – – – DG

30N03 – 483455 1180454 LA 1,595 327 302 – – – DG

31P01 – 483415 1180424 LA 1,640 512 506 – – – DR

31Q01 ABQ 865 483404 1180407 LA 1,730 499 499 – 10-18-01

05-16-02

451.10

446.20

DR

32C01 – 483448 1180303 LA 1,600 360 319 – 10-18-01 298.42 DR

32L01 AFN 036 483420 1180317 LA 1,660 415 414 – 10-16-01 372.25 DR

05-16-02 368.75

32L02 AFI 096 483420 1180311 VC 1,680 102 102 14 – – DR

32M01 – 483423 1180327 LA 1,625 390 390 – 10-16-01

05-16-02

341.15

335.79

DR

–

36A01D1 – 483459 1175733 LA 1,540 300 300 – – – DR

36H01D1 ABO 862 483434 1175738 LA 1,560 395 395 – 10-17-01

05-15-02

-1.1F

–F

DR

36N/39E- 06R01 AAY 892 483839 1175609 UA 1,865 68 66 330 10-10-01 22.71 DR

06R02 AEQ 467 483835 1175609 LA 1,855 380 372 – – – DR

08E01 – 483807 1175547 VC 1,820 237 228 160 10-10-01

05-15-02

70.82

71.16

DR

08L01 ACM 906 483800 1175540 VC 1,810 240 240 – 10-11-01 65.05 DR

19A01 – 483636 1175614 UA 1,670 117 117 – 10-17-01 57.3 DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
Table 11 57

36N/39E- 19J01 – 483608 1175626 VC 1,640 60 60 – 10-11-01

05-15-02

16.45

13.85

DR

–

22M01 – 483608 1175322 LA 1,890 140 139 – 10-11-01

05-15-02

7.14

3.31

DR

–

24G01D1 – 483619 1174947 OA 2,450 148 148 – – – DR

24H01 – 483632 1174935 OA 2,520 140 140 – 10-10-01 -1.7F DR

25J01 – 483525 1174938 UA 2,100 120 109 – – – DR

25K01 – 483523 1174944 UA/BR 2,080 130 122 – 10-12-01

05-15-02

77.40

75.39

DR

–

25N01 ABV 411 483504 1175035 UA 2,000 60 40 – 10-12-01

05-15-02

9.95

7.49R

DR

28F01 – 483530 1175424 BR 2,480 300 300 – 10-11-01

05-16-02

51.51

73.7R

DR

30B01 – 483547 1175641 LA 1,590 345 345 – 11-06-01 –F DR

30M01 ACV 816 483521 1175716 BR 1,570 136 135 – 10-11-01 –F DR

31M01 ABQ 406 483432 1175724 LA 1,560 400 400 49 – – DR

32C01 AHC 086 483450 1175545 BR 1,860 200 200 – – – DR

32E01 AHC 085 483446 1175551 BR 1,850 225 225 – – – DR

34C01 – 483458 1175249 UA 1,915 60 59 – – – DR

34L01 – 483430 1175246 UA 1,940 80 80 – 10-13-01 34.63 DR

35P01 – 483422 1175135 BR 2,060 300 300 – – – DR

35R01 – 483412 1175049 BR 2,200 220 220 – – – DR

36C01 – 483449 1175006 UA 2,035 80 80 – 10-11-01 34.05 DR

36C02 – 483457 1175015 UA 2,005 40 39 – 10-15-01 11.11 DR

36N/40E- 17N01 – 483656 1174808 OA 2,450 213 213 – 09-18-01 –F DR

19P01 AEQ 410 483558 1174848 BR 2,150 418 418 – – – DR

20N01 – 483604 1174812 UA 2,105 37 35 – 09-18-01

05-16-02

5.62

4.24

DR

20N02 – 483603 1174803 LA 2,180 140 139 – 09-18-01 112.44R DR

05-16-02 110.41

30D01 – 483540 1174912 UA 2,085 37 36 – 09-18-01 13.18 DR

31R01 AAK 120 483415 1174827 TC 2,790 97 97 – 10-15-01 30.04R DR

36N/42E- 19A01 AEP 737 483650 1173242 UA 3,160 46 46 220 09-19-01 14.35 DR

19H01 ABZ 959 483630 1173250 UA 3,165 60 58 – – – DR

20C01 AGG 018 483643 1173208 UA 3,180 107 107 – 09-19-01 30.84 DR

20E01 AFA 256 483633 1173224 UA 3,160 95 31 3 – – DR

37N/38E- 25B01 AEJ 014 484054 1175744 UA 1,960 98 98 – 09-18-01 66.22 DR

37N/39E- 30D01 – 484104 1175703 UA 1,900 72 72 – 09-18-01 25.18 DR

31R01 ABO 442 483922 1175604 UA 1,890 78 74 12 – – DR

Table 11. Physical and hydrologic data for the inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington —Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system. WDOE tag: Washington Department of Ecology. Latitude and Longitude are given in 

degrees, minutes, seconds. Hydrogeologic unit: UA, Upper outwash aquifer; TC, Till confining unit; OA, Older outwash aquifer; VC, Colville Valley 

confining unit, LA, Lower aquifer; LC, Lower confining unit; BR, Bedrock. Water level: Minus sign (-) indicates water level above land surface; F, flowing; 

P, pumping; R, recently pumped; S, nearby pumping; T, nearby recently pumped. Type of log available: DR, driller; DG, geologist. Abbreviations: ft/d, foot 

per day; –, no data available]

Well No. WDOE 

tag Latitude Longitude

Hydrogeologic 

unit

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Depth, in feet Estimated 

horizontal 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(ft/d)

Date

Water level

(feet below 

land 

surface)

Type of log 

available Hole Well
58 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock

29N/41E-02M01 480223 1173622 2,390 >58 – – – – – –

02M02 480218 1173613 2,400 >46 – – – – – –

02M03 480223 1173619 2,390 49 0 0 0 0 0 >1

02M04 480218 1173613 2,400 40 0 0 0 0 0 >77

04C03 480246 1173837 2,440 0 0 0 0 0 0 >125

04F01 480231 1173856 2,680 0 0 0 0 0 0 >400

10C01 480150 1173712 2,400 74 0 0 0 0 0 >17

10C02 480150 1173713 2,400 102 0 0 0 0 0 >3

30N/39E-01G01 480755 1174954 2,220 >40 – – – – – –

01G02 480747 1174940 2,200 12 145 >3 – – – –

01L01 480733 1175001 2,160 0 26 0 0 0 0 >94

13F01 480604 1175009 2,440 0 40 0 0 0 0 >30

14G01 480610 1175109 2,415 31 0 0 137 >12 – –

14G02 480604 1175102 2,400 No log

24D02 480523 1175020 2,460 0 50 >10 – – – –

24L01 480504 1175008 2,460 No log

30N/40E-04R01 480727 1174539 1,690 0 0 0 150 >48 – –

10N02 480628 1174514 1,800 0 0 0 92 >38 – –

12A01 480715 1174142 2,180 70 0 0 102 24 0 >1

14M01 480556 1174349 2,320 316 0 0 176 0 0 >28

15E01 480600 1174523 1,810 0 0 0 233 >7 – –

15E02 480600 1174523 1,810 0 0 0 233 >25 – –

15Q01 480542 1174445 1,980 47 0 0 53 0 0 >125

16G01 480601 1174601 1,800 0 0 0 260 >27 – –

16L01 480557 1174607 1,800 0 0 0 210 >90 – –

16L02D1 480549 1174605 1,800 0 0 0 280 >25 – –

20B01 480528 1174715 2,060 150 0 0 >105 – – –

20F01 480518 1174725 2,100 115 0 0 >45 – – –

21H01 480515 1174529 1,900 0 0 0 148 >92 – –

21J02 480506 1174527 1,900 0 0 0 135 >25 – –

28A01D1 480434 1174537 1,945 23 0 0 150 >67 – –

33R01R1 480305 1174532 2,020 32 0 0 >163 – – –

33R02 480305 1174533 2,020 25 0 0 >315 – – –

34A01 480341 1174421 2,080 No log

34G01 480328 1174435 2,040 >150 – – – – – –

35C01 480346 1174326 2,160 >98 – – – – – –

30N/41E-04G02 480747 1173812 2,540 >199 – – – – – –

04N01 480730 1173853 2,480 >143 – – – – – –
Table 12 59

30N/41E-04P01 480727 1173839 2,480 >95 – – – – – –

04P02 480727 1173839 2,480 >180 – – – – – –

10R02 480628 1173627 2,500 >245 – – – – – –

12R01 480634 1173403 2,660 0 0 0 0 0 0 >297

12R02 480634 1173403 2,660 0 0 0 0 0 0 >247

12R03 480634 1173403 2,660 0 0 0 0 0 0 >197

12R04 480634 1173403 2,660 >67 – – – – – –

12R05 480634 1173403 2,660 53 0 0 0 0 0 >6

13H01 480608 1173358 2,500 56 0 0 0 0 0 >4

13H02 480604 1173401 2,500 31 0 0 0 0 0 >89

13H03 480607 1173359 2,500 No log

15B04 480617 1173654 2,510 >242 – – – – – –

15B05 480615 1173704 2,510 >165 – – – – – –

15L04 480555 1173721 2,500 >300 – – – – – –

15M01 480548 1173744 2,460 >171 – – – – – –

18L01 480557 1174109 2,290 >480 – – – – – –

28J01 480408 1173748 2,420 >120 – – – – – –

28Q02 480358 1173809 2,420 >140 – – – – – –

33H01 480328 1173746 2,410 >66 – – – – – –

34C02 480342 1173723 2,410 >198 – – – – – –

34D01 480342 1173726 2,410 >104 – – – – – –

34Q03 480304 1173655 2,400 >36 – – – – – –

34Q04 480304 1173655 2,400 38 0 0 0 0 0 >12

31N/39E-03A04 481316 1175157 2,540 0 22 0 0 0 0 >238

13A02 481137 1174935 2,200 No log

13A03 481137 1174934 2,200 0 45 0 0 0 0 >215

31N/40E-02A01 481315 1174252 1,645 0 0 0 119 >2 - -

02P01 481233 1174350 1,660 0 0 0 245 >25 – –

03C01 481319 1174506 1,800 0 58 0 0 0 0 >162

16L02 481111 1174620 2,000 90 0 0 >147 – – –

16L04 481106 1174614 1,970 70 0 0 >151 – – –

17A01 481131 1174648 2,070 133 0 0 >124 – – –

17A02 481134 1174648 2,070 127 0 0 >175 – – –

20F02 481029 1174735 2,030 0 16 0 0 0 0 >164

22B02 481037 1174432 1,670 0 0 0 185 20 0 >1

22F02 481026 1174501 1,690 0 0 0 139 0 0 >284

23K01 481018 1174316 1,760 >195 – – – – – –

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
60 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

31N/40E-23K02 481018 1174316 1,760 196 0 0 >2 – – -

25P01 480908 1174218 2,030 No log

25Q01 480903 1174204 2,040 >98 – – – – – -

26K01 480926 1174325 1,740 >125 – – – – – -

26K03 480926 1174321 1,760 >100 – – – – – -

26K04 480912 1174317 1,760 >100 – – – – – –

26Q01 480903 1174321 1,760 >100 – – – – – –

26R02 480908 1174317 1,760 >100 – – – – – –

05N03 481240 1174006 2,080 317 – – – – – >583

07B01 481219 1174035 1,810 98 50 0 0 0 0 >52

08B01 481227 1173931 2,050 >300 – – – – – –

11A01 481211 1173516 2,580 38 0 0 231 >5 – –

30P01 480901 1174055 2,060 50 0 0 >175 – – –

31E02 480843 1174121 2,060 >80 – – – – – –

31M02 480837 1174121 2,045 99 0 0 139 >59 – –

31M03 480837 1174122 2,045 >68 – – – – – –

32B01 480860 1173929 2,210 >140 – – – – – –

32F01 480839 1173943 2,240 >180 – – – – – –

32F02 480841 1173942 2,240 189 0 0 0 0 0 >211

32H01 480842 1173916 2,300 24 0 0 41 0 0 >275

32N/38E-15A01 481652 1175959 2,550 42 33 0 0 0 0 >3

21C01 481553 1180143 3,000 32 0 0 0 0 0 >128

32N/39E-04D01 481829 1175423 2,100 >70 – – – – – –

05A01 481819 1175439 2,250 113 0 0 142 >2 – –

12D01 481729 1175035 2,210 38 0 0 0 0 0 >402

32N/40E-01B01 481821 1174208 2,060 220 0 0 58 0 0 >122

01G01 481813 1174202 2,040 150 0 0 75 0 0 >115

02P01 481752 1174339 1,735 37 0 0 >3 – – –

03G01 481814 1174435 1,790 >30 – – – – – –

03G02 481818 1174440 1,800 No log

03H01 481820 1174423 1,790 >30 – – – – – –

03H02 481817 1174430 1,800 No log

03H03 481817 1174426 1,790 No log

03K01 481759 1174450 1,760 >125 – – – – – –

04R01 481744 1174534 1,670 0 0 0 216 0 0 >29

05K01 481759 1174716 1,640 0 0 0 280 >12 – –

10A01 481723 1174419 1,770 180 0 0 138 0 0 >2,152

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
Table 12 61

32N/40E-11F04 481723 1174340 1,710 >118 – – – – – –

12N01 481653 1174245 1,675 No log

14H01 481625 1174311 1,660 0 0 0 140 >35 – –

15F01 481636 1174508 1,700 0 0 0 >78 – – –

15G02 481636 1174443 1,630 0 0 0 183 >67 – –

15M02 481614 1174517 1,900 >165 – – – – – –

15R01 481600 1174414 1,630 0 0 0 325 >37 – –

15R02 481600 1174414 1,630 No log

15R03 481600 1174414 1,630 Incomplete log

22G01 481535 1174441 1,820 >220 – – – – – –

23J01 481524 1174254 1,630 No log

24E01 481539 1174250 1,635 0 0 0 >60 – – –

24F01 481531 1174222 1,660 0 >119 – – – – –

24N01 481510 1174249 1,650 0 0 0 70 >30 – –

25N01 481421 1174239 1,650 0 0 0 97 62 0 >9

26A01 481504 1174256 1,660 0 0 0 160 25 0 >3

27E02 481453 1174512 1,880 39 0 0 71 59 0 >431

27R01 481415 1174416 1,690 0 0 0 100 0 0 >100

28G01D1 481452 1174605 2,100 0 250 0 >95 – – –

28H01 481454 1174540 2,000 >205 – – – – – –

28H02 481452 1174605 2,100 No log

28L01 481433 1174622 2,070 120 0 0 60 0 0 >80

28L02 481427 1174620 2,060 90 0 0 >70 – – –

28R01 481422 1174535 1,900 39 0 0 72 >9 – –

29C01 481454 1174732 2,110 100 0 0 80 0 0 >10

33B01D1 481412 1174553 1,990 0 10 0 0 0 0 >170

35M01 481343 1174356 1,700 No log

35N01 481335 1174400 1,680 0 0 0 89 0 0 >331

32N/41E-05P01 481752 1173937 2,440 47 0 0 0 0 0 >153

07N01 481702 1174133 1,880 95 0 0 0 0 0 >91

19E01 481531 1174125 1,680 0 27 0 0 0 0 >253

33N/38E-03F01 482315 1180034 2,860 0 29 0 0 0 0 >71

33N/39E-02E01 482323 1175152 1,610 No log

03P01D1 482257 1175257 1,760 0 0 0 60 0 0 >90

05L01 482314 1175523 2,140 0 48 0 0 0 0 >272

10R02 482210 1175211 1,640 0 0 0 169 >71 – –

10R03 482211 1175212 1,640 0 0 0 215 21 14 >1

11L01 482219 1175133 1,620 No log

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
62 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

33N/39E-13C01 482150 1175017 1,610 0 0 0 480 >40 – –

13C02 482151 1175017 1,610 0 0 0 403 >86 – –

13F01 482149 1175017 1,610 0 0 0 478 158 27 >5

15J01 482122 1175211 1,660 0 0 0 298 12 0 >19

23A01 482101 1175101 1,650 No log

23A02 482101 1175102 1,650 20 0 0 >380 – – –

23J01 482035 1175049 1,636 80 0 0 240 >20 – –

24E01 482055 1175037 1,630 0 0 0 >230 – – –

24G01 482055 1174955 1,611 0 0 0 >92 – – –

24K01 482034 1174955 1,680 40 0 0 218 57 0 >1

25D01 482010 1175028 1,630 0 0 0 320 >25 – –

33N01 481840 1175436 2,340 0 110 0 0 0 0 >490

33N/40E-25E01 481958 1174258 2,690 0 74 0 0 0 0 >526

27J01 481946 1174432 2,090 >200 – – – – – –

27K01 481945 1174453 2,110 240 0 0 0 0 0 >60

27Q01 481931 1174442 2,100 >210 – – – – – –

31F01 481901 1174851 1,680 0 0 0 135 >43 – –

34G01D1 481910 1174444 2,090 >375 – – – – – –

34G02 481910 1174444 2,090 >300 – – – – – –

34H01D1 481909 1174431 2,080 >240 – – – – – –

34H02 481908 1174430 2,080 >250 – – – – – –

34J01R2 481855 1174430 2,075 >301 – – – – – –

34L01 481853 1174511 2,080 310 0 0 0 0 0 >2

35P01 481834 1174345 1,860 >185 – – – – – –

35P02 481833 1174345 1,860 >120 – – – – – –

36H01 481909 1174152 2,200 85 110 0 30 0 0 >155

33N/41E-28A01 482010 1173746 2,690 43 0 0 115 >7 – –

30B01 482013 1174045 2,300 15 86 0 >96 – – –

34N/38E-03B01 482850 1180032 2,740 0 70 >10 – – – –

04A01 482854 1180108 2,880 14 16 0 0 0 0 >90

12G01 482737 1175754 2,240 95 43 0 0 0 0 >182

13E01 482649 1175814 2,180 69 0 0 0 0 0 >10

13M01 482639 1175828 2,190 63 0 0 0 0 0 >237

14J01 482631 1175836 2,250 50 71 0 0 0 0 >1

21R01 482535 1180129 2,900 >40 – – – – – –

23D01 482604 1175939 2,420 75 30 >2 – – – –

34N/39E-02C01 482844 1175134 2,000 63 0 0 0 0 0 >197

02H01 482832 1175058 1,860 155 0 0 0 0 0 >265

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
Table 12 63

34N/39E-03R01 482814 1175213 1,780 0 0 0 40 0 0 >260

04P02 482804 1175403 1,600 0 0 0 61 >4 – –

09C01 482760 1175410 1,605 26 0 0 66 0 0 >8

09J01 482724 1175322 1,720 0 0 0 242 >38 – –

09P01 482717 1175407 1,820 0 0 0 130 0 0 >50

09R01 482718 1175323 1,720 0 0 0 300 0 0 >160

10H02 482739 1175204 1,625 No log

10J03 482729 1175209 1,625 27 0 0 >93 – – –

10M01 482734 1175311 1,580 35 0 0 >1 – – –

10M02 482731 1175307 1,580 28 0 0 >12 – – –

10N03 482711 1175318 1,680 0 0 0 195 >20 – –

10P01 482723 1175247 1,590 0 0 0 >38 – – –

10P02 482714 1175249 1,590 0 0 0 >60 – – –

11C01 482753 1175138 1,820 210 >15 – – – – –

11G02 482741 1175119 1,885 >292 – – – – – –

16C01 482709 1175359 1,835 0 0 0 88 20 0 >15

22G01 482602 1175237 1,600 0 0 0 111 >40 – –

22R01 482537 1175211 1,620 0 0 0 140 >45 – –

23M01 482541 1175159 1,611 0 0 0 130 >10 – –

23Q01 482539 1175109 1,685 0 0 0 >131 – – –

23Q02D1 482536 1175103 1,666 25 0 0 145 >9 – –

23Q03 482532 1175113 1,640 >46 – – – – – –

25M01 482451 1175025 1,740 91 0 0 0 0 0 >214

25M02 482450 1175029 1,720 91 0 0 0 0 0 >9

26B01 482522 1175108 1,642 0 0 0 >54 – – –

26K01 482458 1175105 1,640 0 0 0 >42 – – –

26N01 482445 1175160 1,720 0 0 0 39 0 0 >261

26P01 482442 1175130 1,600 0 0 0 125 >15 – –

26Q01 482444 1175113 1,630 0 0 0 215 >25 – –

26R01 482439 1175059 1,660 0 0 0 >44.5 – – –

35A01D1 482424 1175050 1,660 32 0 0 >118 – – –

35A02 482422 1175102 1,640 0 0 0 92 >48 – –

35H01 482413 1175048 1,715 >210 – – – – – –

35P01 482352 1175126 1,780 >177 – – – – – –

36B01 482428 1174952 1,880 12 0 0 0 0 0 >388

34N/40E-11D01 482756 1174415 2,120 36 0 0 0 0 0 >564

11F01 482741 1174349 2,030 0 0 0 138 6 0 >1

19M01 482547 1174919 2,360 0 0 0 0 0 0 >700

30M01 482449 1174907 2,180 48 0 0 0 0 0 >152

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
64 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

35N/38E-01E01 483348 1175840 1,950 >60 – – – – – –

11A01 483305 1175851 2,080 0 >124 – – – – –

11A02 483303 1175854 2,090 25 95 0 0 0 0 >420

11M01 483241 1175945 2,320 50 >40 – – – – –

12R01 483227 1175732 1,960 0 4 0 0 0 0 >436

27P01 482951 1180051 3,020 0 91 0 0 0 0 >69

01D01 483405 1175040 2,210 42 >83 – – – – –

02B01 483405 1175119 2,040 23 0 0 >124 – – –

02C01D2 483404 1175132 2,010 25 0 0 168 >25 – –

05F01 483347 1175541 1,555 0 0 0 55 >25 – –

05F02 483345 1175535 1,550 0 0 0 45 18 0 >442

06D01 483356 1175709 1,575 0 88 0 0 0 0 >212

06K01 483332 1175642 1,540 0 0 0 240 >15 – –

07K01 483247 1175626 1,560 0 0 0 193 7 0 >1

09J01 483250 1175327 1,760 >90 – – – – – –

10B02A 483313 1175225 1,890 160 16 >36 – – – –

10B02B 483313 1175226 1,890 160 38 >56 – – – –

10B03 483317 1175227 1,890 155 27 >54 – – – –

10B04 483314 1175226 1,890 180 >20 – – – – –

10N01 483231 1175324 1,740 48 0 0 >1 – – –

11A01 483316 1175053 2,190 21 159 >8 – – – –

11A02 483315 1175045 2,190 22 41 0 0 0 0 >37

11Q03 483237 1175120 2,000 No log

11R01 483235 1175101 2,060 No log

11R02A 483235 1175104 2,030 144 52 0 0 0 0 >2

11R02B 483235 1175103 2,030 >100 – – – – – –

11R03 483235 1175121 2,000 102 0 0 0 0 0 >11

11R04 483236 1175047 2,180 >120 – – – – – –

11R05 483237 1175120 2,000 62 0 0 0 0 0 >8

12H01 483253 1174927 2,255 59 0 0 0 0 0 >19

12Q01 483233 1175002 2,210 >180 – – – – – –

12R02 483226 1174934 2,210 144 0 0 0 0 0 >2

14E02 483201 1175157 1,960 52 0 0 0 0 0 >254

16F01 483203 1175406 1,590 0 0 0 185 9 – >2

18A01 483215 1175624 1,580 >40 – – – – – –

18B01D1 483222 1175636 1,630 70 0 0 0 0 0 >470

20K01 483056 1175524 1,555 0 0 0 >110 – – –

21E01 483107 1175429 1,550 0 0 0 245 >17 – –

21M01R1 483106 1175425 1,550 No log

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
Table 12 65

35N/39E-23B01 483130 1175120 2,280 30 235 0 0 0 0 >15

23F01 483117 1175125 2,160 85 29 0 0 0 0 >214

23F02 483117 1175133 2,080 27 145 – – 0 0 >148

27C01 483026 1175249 2,110 0 90 4 0 0 0 >29

27C02 483028 1175260 2,160 0 90 4 0 0 0 >29

32H01D1 482925 1175458 1,575 0 0 0 305 >5 – –

32L01 482917 1175538 1,880 78 77 0 85 0 0 >1

32N01 482857 1175601 2,080 0 193 0 0 0 0 >309

32P01D1 482857 1175536 1,880 0 175 0 105 >8 – –

32P02 482857 1175537 1,880 0 75 0 190 15 0 >10

33E01 482926 1175429 1,570 0 0 0 >73 – – –

35N/40E-06L01 483332 1174902 2,550 0 12 0 0 0 0 >388

19B01 483120 1174842 2,220 0 68 0 0 0 0 >352

21L01 483055 1174638 2,415 80 0 0 0 0 0 >300

27J01 482960 1174425 2,460 32 66 >7 – – – –

29N01 482951 1174805 2,180 35 70 >15 – – – –

31G01 482928 1174832 2,120 >215 – – – – – –

31G02 482926 1174836 2,160 >290 – – – – – –

33J01 482916 1174554 2,335 76 22 0 0 0 0 >73

33R02 482904 1174543 2,260 28 35 >9 – – – –

36F01 482923 1174233 2,380 0 >98 – – – – –

35N/41E-08E01 483259 1174027 3,200 >100 – – – – – –

08M01 483248 1174023 3,120 70 0 0 0 0 0 >10

14C01 483211 1173616 3,020 >63 – – – – – –

14E01 483201 1173621 3,020 >260 – – – – – –

15E01 483200 1173749 3,100 189 0 0 0 0 0 >4

21F01 483114 1173834 2,890 338 0 0 0 0 0 >7

21P01 483042 1173835 2,965 80 80 0 0 0 0 >160

21P02 483044 1173841 2,880 120 0 0 – – – –

36N/37E-25R01 483458 1180456 1,587 65 0 0 70 >181 – –

36A01 483444 1180456 1,580 46 0 0 120 >134 – –

36B01 483447 1180533 1,530 17 0 0 93 >164 – –

36G01 483442 1180517 1,530 24 0 0 94 >174 – –

36H01 483442 1180502 1,560 44 0 0 141 145 >10 –

36H02 483440 1180513 1,580 104 0 0 71 >118 – –

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
66 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

36N/38E-21C01 483641 1180201 1,680 45 0 0 130 0 0 >145

21J01 483607 1180127 1,570 0 0 0 275 >29 – –

21J02 483607 1180119 1,570 0 0 0 258 >116 – –

26E01 483530 1175933 1,565 0 0 0 275 >5 – –

26M01 483509 1175944 1,530 0 0 0 77 0 0 >263

26N01 483454 1175944 1,565 0 0 0 147 >23 – –

27H01 483530 1180007 1,540 0 0 0 570 >15 – –

29J01 483517 1180224 1,615 0 0 0 195 126 0 >459

30G01 483523 1180411 1,389 0 0 0 0 194 4 >17

30K01 483513 1180403 1,380 0 0 0 0 169 454 >24

30K02 483523 1180411 1,390 0 0 0 0 177 >1 –

30K03 483513 1180404 1,380.5 0 0 0 0 179 >20 –

30K04 483516 1180419 1,560 0 0 0 0 205 >21 –

30K05 483518 1180404 1,400 0 0 0 0 220 >38 –

30K06 483513 1180410 1,400 0 0 0 0 160 >25 –

30K07 483513 1180410 1,410 0 0 0 0 >157 – –

30N01 483502 1180447 1,625 53 0 0 103 >194 – –

30N02 483503 1180446 1,620 75 0 0 97 >173 – –

30N03 483455 1180454 1,595 10 0 0 100 >217 – –

31P01 483415 1180424 1,640 310 0 0 55 133 >8 –

31Q01 483404 1180407 1,730 48 0 0 162 >289 – –

32C01 483448 1180303 1,600 0 0 0 297 23 >40 –

32L01 483420 1180317 1,660 13 0 0 382 >20 – –

32L02 483420 1180311 1,680 23 0 0 >80 - – –

32M01 483423 1180327 1,625 0 0 0 295 >95 – –

36A01D1 483459 1175733 1,540 0 0 0 260 >40 – –

36H01D1 483434 1175738 1,560 39 0 0 343 >13 – –

36N/39E-06R01 483839 1175609 1,865 >68 – – – – – –

06R02 483835 1175609 1,855 0 0 0 368 >12 – –

08E01 483807 1175547 1,820 80 0 0 >157 – – –

08L01 483800 1175540 1,810 110 0 0 >130 – – –

19A01 483636 1175614 1,670 >117 – – – – – –

19J01 483608 1175626 1,640 0 0 0 >60 – – –

22M01 483608 1175322 1,890 22 0 0 93 >25 – –

24G01D1 483619 1174947 2,450 58 82 >8 – – – –

24H01 483632 1174935 2,520 32 70 >38 – – – –

25J01 483525 1174938 2,100 110 >10 – – – – –

25K01 483523 1174944 2,080 80 21 21 0 0 0 >8

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
Table 12 67

36N/39E-25N01 483504 1175035 2,000 40 0 0 >20 – – –

28F01 483530 1175424 2,480 0 105 0 0 0 – >195

30B01 483547 1175641 1,590 0 0 0 340 >6 – –

30M01 483521 1175716 1,570 0 0 0 134 2 – >1

31M01 483432 1175724 1,560 22 0 0 370 >8 – –

32C01 483450 1175545 1,860 0 23 0 0 0 0 >177

32E01 483446 1175551 1,850 0 12 0 0 0 0 >213

34C01 483458 1175249 1,915 >60 – – – – – –

34L01 483430 1175247 1,940 >60 – – – – – –

35P01 483422 1175135 2,060 14 0 0 170 0 - >116

35R01 483413 1175049 2,200 43 115 0 0 0 0 >62

36C01 483449 1175007 2,035 70 0 0 >8 – – –

36C02 483457 1175015 2,005 >40 – – – – – –

36N/40E-17N01 483656 1174808 2,450 45 158 >10 – – – –

19P01 483558 1174848 2,150 0 48 0 0 0 0 >370

20N01 483605 1174812 2,105 >37 – – – – – –

20N02 483603 1174803 2,180 0 80 - 50 >10 – –

30D01 483540 1174912 2,085 >37 – – – – – –

31R01 483415 1174827 2,790 0 97 0 0 0 0 >1

36N/42E-19A01 483650 1173242 3,160 >46 – – – – – –

19H01 483630 1173250 3,165 >60 – – – – – –

20C01 483643 1173208 3,180 105 0 0 0 0 0 >2

20E01 483633 1173224 3,160 60 >35 – – – – –

37N/38E-25B01 484054 1175744 1,960 >98 – – – – – –

37N/39E-30D01 484104 1175703 1,900 >72 – – – – – –

31R01 483922 1175604 1,890 >78 – – – – – –

Table 12. Thickness of hydrogeologic units in inventoried wells in the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington—Continued

[Well No.: See figure 2 for explanation of well-numbering system in Washington. Latitude and Longitude are given in degrees, minutes, seconds. Thickness 

of hydrogeologic unit: –, well does not penetrate to stratigraphic position where unit may or may not be present; >, minimum thickness of unit where total 

thickness unknown; 0, unit not present]

Well No. Latitude Longitude

Landsurface 

altitude 

(feet above 

NGVD29)

Thickness of hydrogeologic unit (feet)

Upper 

outwash 

aquifer

Till 

confining 

unit

Older 

outwash 

aquifer

Colville 

Valley 

confining 

unit

Lower 

aquifer

Lower 

confining 

unit

Bedrock
68 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

APPENDIX 1. WATER RIGHTS AND CLAIMS DATA, RETURN FLOW DATA, AND WATER-USE DATA 

COMPILED, REVIEWED, AND SUBMITTED BY THE WRIA 59 WATERSHED PLANNING TEAM

Appendix 1A. Surface- and ground-water rights and claims data, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River 

Watershed Planning Team, February 11, 2002

WRIA 59 Water Rights and Claims Registered with Washington Department of Ecology

Using the WDOE's Water Rights Application Tracking System (WRATS), the following totals were compiled 

from data that was input into that system as of December 12, 2001:

WRIA 59 Estimated Annual Quantity of Water Use Shown on Water Right Permits, Certificates, and Claims at Washington 

Department of Ecology

That equals to 36,682,563,750 gallons of water claimed for use in WRIA 59 each year.

• 47 Water Right Applications (for new water rights)

• 25 Applications for Change (changes to current water rights or claims)

• 13 Water Right Permits

• 1,434 Water Right Certificates

• 2,724 Water Right Claims

4,243 TOTAL WATER RIGHTS AND CLAIMS IN WRIA 59

• Surface-Water Use per year for Permits and Certificates 36,498 acre-ft

• Ground-Water Use per year for Permits and Certificates 35,056 acre-ft

• Surface-Water Use per year for Claims 35,274 acre-ft

• Ground-Water Use per year for Claims 5,747 acre-ft

TOTAL ‘PAPER RIGHTS AND CLAIMS’: 112,575 acre-ft

Footnote: The WRIA 59 Watershed Planning Team understands that the water-use figures above for water right claims has very marginal validity, until 

the claims have gone through a court adjudication process.

The Team also acknowledges that there is a large difference between the amounts of acres irrigated, and water use stated on the water rights 

and claims, as compared to the 'actual' irrigated acres and 'actual' water use. For example, in reviewing the Department of Ecology's WRATS 

system, the following numbers stand out in a comparison of 'paper' water rights irrigated acres, compared to ‘actual' irrigated acres:

• Irrigated Acres: The WRATS data show 38,830 (±) acres within WRIA 59 that are designated as irrigated acres. However, in the WRIA 59 

Irrigation Water-Use Report, only 7,190 (±) acres are in irrigation. The actual irrigated acres amount is only 18.5 percent of the claimed 

irrigated acres.

• Water Use: Once all the figures are compiled for 'actual water use', then a comparison can be made with the claimed water use to show 

the differences between the two.

Water Conversion Factors

1 acre-foot = 325,850 gallons of water 1 million gallons = 3.0689 acre-feet

1 cubic foot of water = 7.4805 gallons 1 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) = 448.83 gallons per minute (gal/min)
Appendix 1B 69

Appendix 1B. Return-flow data for the cities of Chewelah, Colville, and Kettle Falls; the Colville fish hatchery; and 

septic systems, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team, April 22, 2002, and February 

26, 2003

Return flows from Chewelah, Colville, and Kettle Falls

[Chewelah: Effluent is discharged from the City of Chewelah’s Waste Water Treatment

Plant to the Colville River. Colville: Effluent is discharged from the City of Colville’s 

Waste Water Treatment Plant to the Colville River. Kettle Falls: Effluent is land applied

through seasonal spray irrigation of about 6 acres near Kettle Falls. –, not reported]

Month

(2001)

Chewelah Colville Kettle Falls

(in million gallons per month)

January 8.64 21.76 –

February 7.92 21.25 –

March 7.20 31.61 –

April 6.60 33.69 0.480

May 6.00 25.98 1.364

June 5.40 22.02 0.630

July 4.80 19.00 1.116

August 3.60 19.52 1.550

Septemer 4.80 20.03 0.750

October 7.20 30.06 –

November 8.40 33.87 –

December 10.2 26.82 –

Return flows for the Colville Fish Hatchery

[Effluent discharges to a small creek adjacent to the hatchery that in turn discharges to the

Colville River about 1.5 miles to the west of the hatchery. Discharge is in gallons per minute (gal/min)]

December – January (when they have very few fish) 200 gal/min

February (increased production) 300 gal/min

March – June (high peak use period) 450 gal/min

July – August (low-use period, mostly fish eggs) 200 gal/min

September – November (increased use for production) 450 gal/min

Estimated annual return flows from septic systems for households and businesses on public or private water systems

[Return flows were estimated using 200 gallons per day per household or business (Washington State Department of Health, 02-05-03)]

Estimated annual return flows from septic systems Gallons per year Acre-feet per year

LOWER BASIN AREA 1,443 households served by private domestic wells 105,339,000 323.27

296 households/businesses served by public water 21,608,000 66.31

MID-BASIN AREA 842 households served by private domestic wells 61,466,000 188.63

137 households/businesses served by public water 10,001,000 30.69

UPPER BASIN AREA 684 households served by private domestic wells 49,932,000 153.24

134 households/businesses served by public water 9,782,000 30.02

TOTAL BASIN Total estimated return flows from septic systems: 258,128,000 792.16
70 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Appendix 1C. Estimated irrigation water use, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team 

and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, March 14, 2002

Total Estimated Irrigation Water Use: 21,570 acre-feet per year

Averaging three (3) acre-feet per year water-use for each acre irrigated (7,190 acres), the total estimated 

irrigation water-use within the Colville River Watershed is 21,570 acre-feet per year.

Source of Water Use: 86.6 percent surface water and 13.4 percent ground water

Of the total amount of water used to irrigate crops within the watershed, 86.6 percent is taken from 

surface water (SW) sources and 13.4 percent is taken from ground water (GW) sources.

Breakdown of Acres, Water Use, Crops and Water Source per Each Basin Area

Lower Basin Area (north end of the watershed, includes area where the Colville River flows into Lake 

Roosevelt. Includes Echo, Bon Ayer, Lakes, Haller Creek, Middle Colville, and Middle Little Pend Oreille River 

Watershed Administrative Units (WAUs):

Mid-Basin Area (heart of the watershed, includes East Stranger Creek, Stensgar Creek, Iron Mountain, and 

Park Rapid WAUs):

Upper Basin Area (headwaters of the Colville River Watershed. Includes Huckleberry Creek, Cottonwood 

Creek, Grouse Creek, Deer Creek, and Loon-Deer Lakes WAUs):

• Irrigated Acres: 3,190 acres

• Irrigation Water Use: 9,570 acre-feet per year (26 cubic feet per second/6 months)

• Average Crops: 90 percent alfalfa grass and small grains, and 10 percent corn and 

potatoes

• Water-Use Source: 86.8 percent surface water, and 13.2 percent ground water

• Irrigated Acres: 1,200 acres

• Irrigation Water Use: 3,600 acre-feet per year (10 cubic feet per second/6 months)

• Average Crops: 90 percent alfalfa grass, and 10 percent corn

• Water-Use Source: 96.3 percent surface water, and 3.7 percent ground water

• Irrigated Acres: 2,800 acres

• Irrigation Water Use: 8,400 acre-feet per year (23 cubic feet per second/6 months)

• Average Crops: 100 percent alfalfa grass and small grains

• Water-Use Source: 78.5 percent surface water, and 21.5 percent ground water

Note #1 Figures above are at 90-percent accuracy rate.

Note #2 The above data were figured on long-term averages and were based on peak water-use rates, which includes both drought and wetter 

years. July and August are the normal peak periods.
Appendix 1D 71

Appendix 1D. Group A public water systems water-use totals, WRIA 59, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River 

Watershed Planning Team, March 14, 2002

[–, not reported]

Annual total water usage Gallons per year Acre-feet per year

No. System name 2001 2000 1999 1998 2001 2000 1999 1998

LOWER BASIN AREA 992,569,780 1,019,286,078 966,228,550 1,003,070,722 3,046 3,128 2,965 3,078 

1 Ardenbrook Water Assoc.1 2,441,600 2,611,472 2,605,520 2,908,208 7.5 8.0 8.0 8.9 

2 Arden Hills Water System1 3,204,600 3,427,557 3,419,745 3,817,023 9.8 10.5 10.5 11.7 

3 Colville, City of2 465,562,000 493,893,000 498,645,000 489,703,000 1,428.8 1,515.7 1,530.3 1,502.8 

4 Corbett Creek Water System1 6,113,320 6,528,680 6,513,800 7,270,520 18.8 20.0 20.0 22.3 

5 Country Villa Mobile Park1 6,867,000 7,344,765 7,328,025 8,179,335 21.1 22.5 22.5 25.1 

6 Cross Roads Bar & Grill1 127,920 128,160 127,920 127,920 .4 .4 .4 .4 

7 Dominion View Water Assn.1 2,746,800 2,937,906 2,931,210 3,271,734 8.4 9.0 9.0 10.0 

8 Elm Tree Water & Sewer 

Assoc.

 2,136,400 2,285,038 2,279,830 2,544,682 6.6 7.0 7.0 7.8 

9 Echo Estates (PUD)2 550,140 – – – 1.7 – – – 

10 Kettle Falls, City of2 485,808,000 482,051,000 424,341,000 465,320,000 1,490.9 1,479.4 1,302.3 1,428.0 

11 Panorama Mobile Home Park1 7,324,800 7,834,416 7,816,560 8,724,624 22.5 24.0 24.0 26.8 

12 Stimson Lumber Co.3 1,752,000 1,756,800 1,752,000 1,752,000 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 

13 Tiger Tracts Water System1 5,188,400 5,549,378 5,536,730 6,179,942 15.9 17.0 17.0 19.0 

14 Timothy Park Sub-Div.1 610,400 652,868 651,380 727,052 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.2 

15 Williams Lake Rd. Sub-Div.1 2,136,400 2,285,038 2,279,830 2,544,682 6.6 7.0 7.0 7.8 

MID-BASIN AREA 310,801,990 318,971,540 325,017,790 275,073,150 953.8 978.9 997.4 844.2 

16 Addy, Town of (PUD)2 15,173,650 16,104,800 16,460,350 13,632,110 46.6 49.4 50.5 41.8 

17 Chewelah, City of (PUD)2 251,318,000 262,246,000 275,543,000 231,970,000 771.3 804.8 845.6 711.9 

18 Chewelah, City of, Golf 

Course (PUD)

 23,698,000 19,334,000 18,421,000 16,329,000 72.7 59.3 56.5 50.1 

19 Chewelah LDS Chapel1 138,240 138,240 138,240 138,240 .4 .4 .4 .4 

20 N.W. Alloys, Inc.3 20,474,100 21,148,500 14,455,200 13,003,800 62.8 64.9 44.4 39.9 

20.5 Flowery Trail Comm. Assoc. 822,400 826,050 822,400 822,400 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 

UPPER BASIN AREA 217,340,185 195,913,288 182,493,703 209,536,881 667.0 601.2 560.1 643.0 

21 Christian Water System1 2,594,200 2,774,689 2,768,365 3,089,971 8.0 8.5 8.5 9.5 

22 Deer Lake (PUD)2 59,485,300 56,348,400 55,643,140 59,995,560 182.6 172.9 170.8 184.1 

23 Granite Point Park1 667,700 699,551 698,435 755,189 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.3 

24 Jumpoff Joe Lake (PUD)2 10,178,060 10,754,821 11,117,078 10,856,228 31.2 33.0 34.1 33.3 

25 Loon Lake (PUD)2 65,584,550 48,062,970 30,597,490 46,619,610 201.3 147.5 93.9 143.1 

26 Loon Lake Acres1 7,324,800 7,834,416 7,816,560 8,724,624 22.5 24.0 24.0 26.8 

27 Loon Lake SW (PUD)2 16,354,300 13,445,300 14,055,800 14,142,200 50.2 41.3 43.1 43.4 

28 Pine Grove Mennonite 

Church2

 146,100 302,500 6,300 – .4 .9 .0 –

29 Pine Low Park1 1,186,275 1,229,493 1,227,255 1,302,927 3.6 3.8 3.8 4.0 

30 Springdale, Town of1 21,974,400 23,503,248 23,449,680 26,173,872 67.4 72.1 72.0 80.3 

31 Valley, Town of (PUD)2 8,036,100 8,586,700 7,659,000 13,960,100 24.7 26.4 23.5 42.8 

32 Waitts’ Lake (PUD)2 23,808,400 22,371,200 27,454,600 23,916,600 73.1 68.7 84.3 73.4 

TOTAL 1,520,711,955 1,534,170,906 1,473,740,043 1,487,680,753 4,666.9 4,708.2 4,522.8 4,565.5 

1Estimated water-use data.

2Actual water-use data.

3Water-use data for industrial use located in the industrial water-use charts.
72 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington Appendix 1E. Monthly and annual water-use totals for exempt wells, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team, March 14, 2002 ESTIMATED AVERAGE DAILY WATER-USE PER HOME (Base amount) (gallons per home per day) Year January February March April May June July August September October November December 2001 398 356 419 322 416 840 1,169 1,096 832 310 279 295 2000 431 442 452 629 466 772 939 1,652 374 329 329 312 1999 426 496 457 395 494 849 977 1,129 730 371 409 374 1998 376 307 351 354 445 669 1,512 1,506 1,450 326 393 400 ESTIMATED DAILY WATER-USE TOTALS FOR 2,969 HOMES WITHIN WRIA 59 (gallons per day) Year January February March April May June July August September October November December 2001 1,181,662 1,056,964 1,244,011 956,018 1,235,104 2,493,960 3,470,761 3,254,024 2,470,208 920,390 828,351 875,855 2000 1,279,639 1,312,298 1,341,988 1,867,501 1,383,554 2,292,068 2,787,891 4,904,788 1,110,406 976,801 976,801 926,328 1999 1,264,794 1,472,624 1,356,833 1,172,755 1,466,686 2,520,681 2,900,713 3,352,001 2,167,370 1,101,499 1,214,321 1,110,406 1998 1,116,344 911,483 1,042,119 1,051,026 1,321,205 1,986,261 4,489,128 4,471,314 4,305,050 967,894 1,166,817 1,187,600 ESTIMATED MONTHLY WATER-USE TOTALS FOR 2,969 HOMES WITHIN WRIA 59 (gallons per month) Year January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual Totals 2001 36,631,522 29,594,992 38,564,341 28,680,540 38,288,224 74,818,800 107,593,591 100,874,744 74,106,240 28,532,090 24,850,530 27,151,505 609,687,119 2000 39,668,809 38,056,642 41,601,628 56,025,030 42,890,174 68,762,040 86,424,621 152,048,428 33,312,180 30,280,831 29,304,030 28,716,168 647,090,581 1999 39,208,614 41,233,472 42,061,823 35,182,650 45,467,266 75,620,430 89,922,103 103,912,031 65,021,100 34,146,469 36,429,630 34,422,586 642,628,174 1998 34,606,664 25,521,524 32,305,689 31,530,780 40,957,355 59,587,830 139,162,968 138,610,734 129,151,500 30,004,714 35,004,510 36,815,600 733,259,868 4 years of monthly totals 150,115,609 134,406,630 154,533,481 151,419,000 167,603,019 278,789,100 423,103,283 495,445,937 301,591,020 122,964,104 125,588,700 127,105,859 2,632,665,742 ESTIMATED ANNUAL WATER-USE TOTALS FOR EXEMPT WELLS IN WRIA 59 (325,850 gallons = 1 acre-foot per year water use) Year 2001 609,687,119 water use in gallons equals 1,871.07 acre-feet per year water use 2000 647,090,581 water use in gallons equals 1,985.85 acre-feet per year water use 1999 642,628,174 water use in gallons equals 1,972.16 acre-feet per year water use 1998 733,259,868 water use in gallons equals 2,250.30 acre-feet per year water use
Appendix 1E 73

Appendix 1E. Annual water-use totals for exempt wells by area, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River 

Watershed Planning Team, March 14, 2002—Continued

WRIA 59 – COLVILLE RIVER BASIN ESTIMATED EXEMPT WELLS WATER-USE TOTALS

2001 2000 1999 1998

LOWER BASIN AREA (1,443 exempt wells)

Gallons per year 296,321,493 314,500,407 312,331,578 356,380,596

Acre-feet per year 909.38 965.17 958.51 1,093.70

MID BASIN AREA (842 exempt wells)

Gallons per year 172,905,542 183,513,058 182,247,532 207,950,424

Acre-feet per year 530.63 563.18 559.30 638.18

UPPER BASIN AREA (684 exempt wells)

Gallons per year 140,460,084 149,077,116 148,046,064 168,928,848

Acre-feet per year 431.06 457.50 454.34 518.43

TOTAL BASIN AREA (2,969 exempt wells)

Gallons per year 609,687,119 647,090,581 642,625,174 733,259,868

Acre-feet per year 1,871.07 1,985.85 1,972.16 2,250.30
74 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington Appendix 1F. Industrial water-use data, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team, February 26, 2003 System No. 12-B - Estimated monthly and annual surface water-use totals for Stimson Lumber Company, Lower Basin Area ESTIMATED MONTHLY SURFACE WATER USAGE FOR STIMSON LUMBER OUTSIDE WATERING (INDUSTRIAL USE) (gallons per month) Year January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual totals 2001 – – – 3,393,360 4,675,296 4,524,480 4,675,296 4,675,296 4,524,480 3,506,472 – – 29,974,680 Monthly Totals – – – 3,393,360 4,675,296 4,524,480 4,675,296 4,675,296 4,524,480 3,506,472 – – 29,974,680 ESTIMATED YEARLY SURFACE WATER USAGE FOR STIMSON LUMBER OUTSIDE WATERING (INDUSTRIAL USE) (gallons per year) Year 2001 29,974,680 (29,974,680 gallons per year = an estimated 91.99 acre-feet per year of surface-water use for outside industrial watering) Note: Estimated daily surface-water usage was figured at 0.7 cubic foot per second or 314.2 gallons per minute (times) 60 minutes per hour (times) number of hours used per day (times) days used per month, as follows: April: 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 6 hours per day × 30 days use = 3,393,360 gallons per day May: 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 8 hours per day × 31 days use = 4,675,296 gallons per day June: 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 8 hours per day × 30 days use = 4,524,480 gallons per day July 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 8 hours per day × 31 days use = 4,675,296 gallons per day August 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 8 hours per day × 31 days use = 4,675,296 gallons per day September: 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 8 hours per day × 30 days use = 4,524,480 gallons per day October: 314.2 gallons per minute × 60 minutes × 6 hours per day × 31 days use = 3,506,472 gallons per day Note: 1 million gallons = 3.0689 acre-feet
Appendix 1F 75

Appendix 1F. Industrial water-use data, as reported by the WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team, February 26, 2003—Continued

System No. 20A - Monthly and annual water-use totals for N.W. Alloys, Inc., Mid-Basin: SHOWS PERCENT OF INDUSTRIAL WATER USE (70 PERCENT)Note: The actual water use report submitted by N.W. Alloys, Inc. stated that 70 percent of the water used by N.W. Alloys, Inc. was for industrial use, and 30 percent municipal use. The first chart shows the actual 

total water use for the plant. The second chart has calculated out the 70 percent industrial use. The municipal water use (30 percent) is shown on the public-water supply charts.

ACTUAL AVERAGE DAILY WATER USAGE - S03 WELL FIELD COMPRISED OF S01/S02 (BASE AMOUNT ACTUALS) (monthly withdrawals in gallons)

Year January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual totals

2001 4,695,000 4,728,000 8,006,000 7,344,000 6,006,000 9,594,000 12,002,000 4,090,000 5,270,000 5,729,000 190,000 593,000 68,247,0002000 2,496,000 2,417,000 3,544,000 6,167,000 8,793,000 9,712,000 7,627,000 7,064,000 5,803,000 6,398,000 5,151,000 5,323,000 70,495,0001999 3,126,000 1,976,000 2,736,000 3,313,000 4,035,000 4,650,000 5,151,000 4,657,000 7,009,000 6,145,000 2,924,000 2,462,000 48,184,0001998 2,210,000 2,437,000 2,455,000 2,469,000 3,242,000 2,830,000 3,050,000 3,388,000 4,768,000 5,451,000 5,523,000 5,219,000 43,042,0004 years ofmonthlytotals 12,527,000 11,558,000 16,741,000 19,293,000 22,076,000 26,786,000 27,830,000 19,199,000 22,850,000 23,723,000 13,788,000 13,597,000 186,926,000

ESTIMATED MONTHLY WATER-USE TOTALS FOR INDUSTRIAL WATER-USE WITHIN THE PLANT: 70 PERCENT OF REPORTED TOTALS (monthly withdrawals in gallons)

Year January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual totals

2001 3,286,500 3,309,600 5,604,200 5,140,800 4,204,200 6,715,800 8,401,400 2,863,000 3,689,000 4,010,300 133,000 415,100 47,772,9002000 1,747,200 1,691,900 2,480,800 4,316,900 6,155,100 6,798,400 5,338,900 4,944,800 4,062,100 4,478,600 3,605,700 3,726,100 49,346,5001999 2,188,200 1,383,200 1,915,200 2,319,100 2,824,500 3,255,000 3,605,700 3,259,900 4,906,300 4,301,500 2,046,800 1,723,400 33,728,8001998 1,547,000 1,705,900 1,718,500 1,728,300 2,269,400 1,981,000 2,135,000 2,371,600 3,337,600 3,815,700 3,866,100 3,653,300 30,129,4004 years ofmonthlytotals 8,768,900 8,090,600 11,718,700 13,505,100 15,453,200 18,750,200 19,481,000 13,439,300 15,995,000 16,606,100 9,651,600 9,517,900 130,848,200

ACTUAL TOTAL WATER USAGE FOR N.W. ALLOYS, INC., FOR INDUSTRIAL WATER USE WITHIN THE PLANT: 70 PERCENT OF TOTAL WATER USE

Year Gallons per 

year

Acre-feet 

per year

2001 47,772,900 146.612000 49,346,500 151.441999 33,728,800 103.511998 30,129,400 92.46

Note: As of November 2001, N.W. Alloys, Inc. began the process of closing down the plant. For the next 2+ years, it will be working on the cleanup prior to closure, so the water-use amounts will be decreased 

during the closure process.
76 Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

Appendix 1G. Estimated livestock water use, as reported by the 

WRIA 59 Colville River Watershed Planning Team and the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, March 14, 2002

[Water-use figures below were figured in gallons per day (gal/d)]

WRIA 59 — LIVESTOCK ESTIMATED WATER-USE FIGURES

Type of livestock How many Average water use per day

Dairy cows 2,754 at 30 gal/d each = 82,620 gal/d

All other cattle/calves 12,800 at 15 gal/d each = 192,000 gal/d

Hogs and pigs 440 at 2 gal/d each = 880 gal/d

Sheep and lambs 520 at 2 gal/d each = 1,040 gal/d

TOTAL ESTIMATED LIVESTOCK WATER USE FOR 

WRIA 59 = 276,540 gal/d

Note: The above livestock water-use figures do not include water-use amounts for 

horses, or smaller domestic animals and foul. Those figures are estimated into the WRIA 

59 Domestic Exempt Well Water-Use Report.
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