U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2008–3071

September 2008

A Study of the Connection Among Basin-Fill Aquifers, 

Carbonate-Rock Aquifers, and Surface-Water Resources in 

Southern Snake Valley, Nevada

The Secretary of the Interior through the Southern Nevada 

Public Lands Management Act approved funding for research 

to improve understanding of hydrologic systems that sustain 

numerous water-dependent ecosystems on Federal lands in 

Snake Valley, Nevada. Some of the streams and spring-discharge 

areas in and adjacent to Great Basin National Park have been 

identified as susceptible to ground-water withdrawals (Elliott 

and others, 2006) and research has shown a high potential for 

ground-water flow from southern Spring Valley into southern 

Snake Valley through carbonate rocks that outcrop along a low 

topographic divide known as the Limestone Hills (Welch and 

others, 2007). 

Comprehensive geologic, hydrologic, and chemical 

information will be collected and analyzed to assess the 

hydraulic connection between basin-fill aquifers and surfacewater resources, water-dependent ecological features, and the 

regional carbonate-rock aquifer, the known source of many 

high-discharge springs. Understanding these connections is 

important because proposed projects to pump and export ground 

water from Spring and Snake Valleys in Nevada may result 

in unintended capture of water currently supplying springs, 

streams, wetlands, limestone caves, and other biologically 

sensitive areas (fig. 1). The methods that will be used in this 

study may be transferable to other areas in the Great Basin.

The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service 

submitted the proposal for funding this research to facilitate 

science-based land management. Scientists from the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources and Geologic 

Disciplines, and the University of Nevada, Reno, will 

accomplish four research elements through comprehensive data 

collection and analysis that are concentrated in two distinct 

areas on the eastern and southern flanks of the Snake Range 

(fig. 2). The projected time line for this research is from July 

2008 through September 2011. 

Research Element 1—Assessment of the geometry and 

hydraulic properties of Cenozoic sedimentary rocks and 

coarse- and fine-grained basin-fill deposits.

These properties influence the ground-water flow direction 

and magnitude, the potential for ground-water/surface-water 

interactions, and the locations and types of ground-water 

discharge. Element 1 will be accomplished by collecting new 

and compiling existing geologic and hydrologic data from 

wells, new geologic field mapping, correlating geologic maps 

with existing geophysical surveys, and developing hydrofacies 

maps. 

Figure 1. Lehman Caves, Rowland Spring, and South Fork Big Wash, 

southern Snake Valley, Nevada.

Printed on recycled paper

Research Element 2—Assessment of the streambed properties 

of Lehman, Baker, and Snake Creeks and quantification of the 

volume of water exchanged between the ground- and surfacewater systems.

The potential and rate of exchange of water between 

the flow systems are a function of the degree of hydraulic 

connection and difference between river stage and aquifer heads.
Lehman, Baker, and Snake Creeks exhibit 

highly variable gain and loss conditions. 

Because these conditions occur largely in, or 

in close proximity to Great Basin National 

Park, a better understanding of the spatial 

and temporal ground-water/surface-water 

relations along these creeks are of interest. 

Element 2 will be accomplished by heat 

tracing, aquifer testing, and seepage runs.

Research Element 3—Delineation of the 

sources of water to Rowland and Big Springs.

The water chemistry of streams, 

springs, and wells can provide insight as 

to the sources of water to springs and, 

consequently, their susceptibility to changes 

in either the ground- or surface-water 

systems. Element 3 will be accomplished by

evaluating the sources of water to springs

using the chemical mixing model, NETPATH.

Research Element 4—Refine estimates of 

interbasin flow between southern Spring 

and southern Snake (Hamlin) Valleys 

through the Limestone Hills.

The magnitude and direction of 

subsurface flow through the Limestone Hills 

will be quantified by delineation of groundwater divides in the study area and reliable 

estimates of the hydraulic gradient, effective 

thickness of the permeable carbonate 

rocks, and effective hydraulic conductivity 

of these permeable rocks. Element 4 will 

be accomplished by applying the Darcy 

Equation to refined hydraulic property and 

gradient estimates. 

The results of these research elements will be summarized 

in a multi-chapter USGS Scientific Investigations Report. The 

results of this study will benefit the National Park Service, 

Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

U.S. Forest Service, Nevada and Utah State agencies, as well as 

interested stakeholders by providing relevant hydrologic data to 

better quantify the current hydrologic condition, and proactively 

assess potential effects on ground and surface-water systems from 

proposed large-scale ground-water withdrawals. This study 

is aligned with the USGS science strategy goal of informing 

the public and decision makers about the status of freshwater 

resources across America (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007).

References Cited

Elliott, P.E., Beck, D.A., and Prudic, D.E., 2006, 

Characterization of surface-water resources in the Great 

Basin National Park and their susceptibility to ground-water 

withdrawals in adjacent valleys, White Pine County, Nevada: 

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 

2006-5099, 156 p.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2007, Facing tomorrow’s challenges—

U.S. Geological Survey science in the decade 2007–2017: 

U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1309, 67 p. 

Welch, A.H., Bright, D.J., and Knochenmus, L.A., eds., 2007, 

Water resources of the Basin and Range carbonate-rock 

aquifer system, White Pine County, Nevada, and adjacent 

areas in Nevada and Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2007-5261, 96 p.

For more information about this study, or other 

USGS water-resources studies in Nevada, please contact:

Lari A. Knochenmus, Deputy Director

USGS Nevada Water Science Center

2730 North Deer Run Road

Carson City, NV 89701

Tel: (775) 887-7613 Email: lari@usgs.gov

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

Rowland

Spring

Big

Springs 

Big Springs

Creek

Pruess Lake

Snake Creek

Baker Creek

Lehman

Creek

93

50

6

UTAH

NEVADA

BEAVER COUNTY

LINCOLN

COUNTY

MILLARD

COUNTY

WHITE

PINE

COUNTY

Great

Basin

National

Park

Hamlin

Valley

(Southern

Snake)

Snake

Valley

Spring

Valley Southern Snake Range

Limestone Hills

39°15'

39°

38°45'

38°30'

Base from USGS 1:100,000-scale digital data, 1979-1984.

Hydrographic boundaries from USGS digital data.

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 11, NAD83.

114°30' 114°15' 114° 113°45' 113°30'

EXPLANATION

Focused study area

Boundary of study area

Spring

Other Agency Well

Completed

Planned

USGS Planned Wells

Deep

Shallow cluster 

0 10 20

20

5 Miles

0 10 Kilometers

Figure 2. Study area in Snake Valley, Nevada.