Water

Characteristics of Western Region Flash Flood Events in GOES Imagery and Conventional Data

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:05:46 PDT

This memorandum presents characteristics of western region convective and extratropical cyclone flash flood events as observed in (VIS and IR) GOES imagery, and conventional surface and upper air data. One hundred and thirty-seven convective heavy rainfall events from 1981 through 1983 were examined and categorized into time of year, time of day of maximum precipitation, minimum cloud top temperature at time of maximum precipitation, and type of satellite observed convective system. Detailed analyses of conventional data for the largest flash flood producing mesoscale convective systems (MCS's) yielded four distinct atmospheric patterns at the surface, 700, and 500 mb levels. Twenty-four flash flood events produced by extratropical cyclones from 1981-1983 were classified into three main types of satellite observed cloud patterns. These atmospheric composites and satellite observed cloud patterns were designed to aid operational meteorologists in recognizing and forecasting flash flood events in the western region of the United States.

Late Quaternary Geomorphology of the Great Salt Lake Region, Utah, and Other Hydrographically Closed Basins in the Western United States: A Summary of Observations

United States, National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:25:17 PDT

This report reviews attributes of Quaternary lakes and lake basins which are often important in the environmental prehistory of semideserts. Basin-floor and basin-closure morphometry have set limits on paleolake sizes; lake morphometry and basin drainage patterns have influenced lacustrine processes; and water and sediment loads have influenced basin neotectonics. Information regarding inundated, runoff-producing, and extra-basin spatial domains is acquired directly from the paleolake record, including the littoral morphostratigraphic record, and indirectly by reconstruction.

Fluctuation History of Great Salt Lake, Utah, During the Last 13,000 Years

United States, National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:39:27 PDT

Great Salt Lake level fluctuations from 13,000 yr B.P. to the present were interpreted by examination of shoreline geomorphic features, shoreline deposits, archeologic sites, isotopic data, and palynologic data.

After the conclusion of the Bonneville paleolake cycle, between 13,000 and 12,000 yr B.P. the lake regressed to levels low enough to deposit a littoral oxidized red bed stratum and a pelagic Glauber's salt layer. A late Pleistocene lake cycle occurred between 12,000 and 10,000 yr B.P. depositing several beaches, the highest reaching an altitude of about 4250 ft (1295.3 m). The lake regressed after 10,000 yr B.P., only to rise to 4230 ft (1289.2 m) between 9700 and 9400 yr B.P. and then gradually lower at least 15 ft (4.5 m) or more. Lake levels fluctuated between 4212 and 4180 ft (1284 and 1274 m) for the next 4000 years. A late Holocene lake cycle, constrained by radiocarbon ages between 3440 and 1400 yr B.P., is reported at a highest static level of 4221 ft (1286.5 m). After a lake level drop to altitudes ranging between 4210 and 4205 ft (1283.2 and 1281.6 m), a 4217 ft (1285.7 m) level was reached after 400 yr B.P. This level lowered to 4214 ft (1284.4 m) in the mid to late 1700s A.D. The lake levels have since stabilized around a 4200 ft (1280 m) mean.

National Wetlands Inventory Maps, Logan, (Ogden NW) UT, USFWS

United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:59:55 PDT

This document was prepared primarily by stereoscopic analysis of high altitude aerial photographs. Wetlands were identified on the photographs based on vegetation, visible hydrology, and geography in accordance with classification of Wetland and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (FWS/OBS-79/31 December 1979). The aerial photographs typically reflect conditions during the specific year and season when they were taken. In addition there is a margin of error inherent in the use of the aerial photographs.

Haights Creek RPM Pipe Failures

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:25:35 PDT

In 1989, Haights Creek Irrigation Company replaced 730 linear feet of 24- and 27-inch-diameter RPM (reinforced plastic mortar) pipe because of several failures. Bureau of Reclamation personnel examined the pipe before and after exhumation, the surrounding soil conditions, and measured diametral deflections. Major longitudinal cracks in the pipe invert appear to be the result of hard spots in the pipe foundation. Some of these hard spots were caused from mounding, or using a mound of soil under one end of the pipe to bring it to grade without providing an equivalent uniform support along the remainder of the pipe.

High Recovery Desalting of Brackish Water by Electrodialysis: Field Tests at Yuma Desalting Test Facility & at La Verkin Springs

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:56:33 PDT

An ED (electrodialysis pilot plant achieved high desalting recoveries of nearly 95 percent at the YDTF (Yuma Desalting Test Facility, Arizona) and 92 percent at LVS (La Verkin Springs, Utah) during over 4000 hours of operation. Brine TDS (total dissolved solids) concentrations of nearly 100 000 g/m³ were obtained at LVS, which is a greater brine concentration than is possible using RO (reverse osmosis). The LVS required ED energy (while producing a product TDS concentration of about 1000 g/m³) is estimated to be about one-third the energy requirements of a commercially available distillation brine concentrator. Lowering product TDS concentration by ED requires increased equipment size and energy consumption. Special modifications of a standard ED design by its manufacturer were required for the pilot plant to achieve the high brine concentrations through a minimization of both the wastage of water and the dilution of brine that usually occurs with polarity reversal. During initial ED operation (at the YDTF) about 60 000 g/m³ brine TDS concentration caused the bronze brine-recirculation pump to erode and lose its required capacity and contributed to electrical shorting at the stack electrodes in nonflow areas. Subsequent replacement of the pump by one of plastic and the electrodes by ones specially encapsulated with plastic for higher electrical insulation allowed the pilot plant to operate for over 2000 hours producing high brine concentrations without additional equipment problems. The ED process has been shown to be highly feasible technically for achieving very high brine concentrations and desalting recoveries, which are particularly important to inland-desalting applications where brine disposal volumes need to be minimized because of the high brine-disposal costs.

A Microsystem Sediment-Water Simulation Study for the Proposed Jordanelle Reservoir, Heber City, Utah

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Thu, 19 May 2011 11:48:28 PDT

The technique of microsystem sediment-water simulation was used to predict water quality data for the proposed Jordanelle Reservoir, Heber City, Utah. Simulation microsystems were prepared for four sites located in the north arm of the reservoir basin including two sites located in an abandoned acid mine tailings pond. Data obtained from the tailings pond microsystems indicated that low pH water and high trace metal concentrations will exist in the north arm of the reservoir. These data suggested that some kind of membrane or compacted earth lining will be necessary to seal and contain the mine spoilage. Other sites in the reservoir basin exhibited normal water quality. Near the proposed dam, anaerobic conditions will develop rapidly due to high available concentrations of organic carbon, and the subsequent release of zinc, iron, and manganese may pose a water quality problem. In the north arm near Keetley, simulation data indicated that anaerobic conditions will not develop as quickly or be as severe as conditions expected near the dam. Overall, the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus forms in the Provo River and Jordanelle sediments indicated that possible problems with algal blooms may exist in the reservoir.

Characterization of Water from LaVerkin Springs, Utah

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:34:55 PDT

Analytical water data obtained from two separate test programs at the LaVerkin Springs site, Washington County, southwestern Utah, were evaluated. During the first analyses, from February 11 through November 6, 1972, water samples were obtained weekly from 14 atmospheric springs. During the second analyses from November 1, 1979 through August 27, 1980, water samples were obtained weekly at aquifer pressure by pumping from a well representative of the 14 springs. Acquired data included characteristics of the water in 1972, and again in 1979-1980, uniformity of the water in the springs tested, variations of these characteristics within the time of year, and the comparison of the water obtained in 1972 with that obtained in 1979-1980.

Lake Powell Water Quality Programs and Associated Files, A Users' Guide to Programs Powell and Powplot

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:36:41 PDT

During the summer of 1980, work began at the Engineering and Research Center, Bureau of Reclamation, to develop a computerized method for analyzing Lake Powell water quality data. Lake Powell, in southeastern Utah is formed by Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River at Page, Arizona. This work was carried out by Mr. Greg A. Keller under the supervision of Mr. David H. Merritt in the Colorado River Water Quality Office. By July of 1981, two computer programs, named POWELL and POWPLOT, had been produced. This document is intended to provide guidance for the user of these programs.

Global Climate Change Response Program, Water Yield in Semiarid Environment Under Projected Climate Change

United States Department of the Interior — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:44:27 PDT

This paper presents the practical application of a distributed parameter climate vegetation hydrologic model (CVHM) and its ability to simulate hydrologic response under existing conditions and under assumed CO₂-induced climate and vegetation change. Applying the model to the Weber River basin provided a basis for determining the impacts of climate change on the hydrologic response. By using a "what if" scenario this model included the changes in plant transpiration rates and in vegetation cover under a CO₂-altered climate change and the effects of these changes on water yield.

Characterization of La Verkin Springs Water and Methods for Its Reuse in Energy Development

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:01:10 PDT

Analytical water data obtained from a 9-month test program at the LVS (LaVerkin Springs) site, which is located in Washington County, Southwestern Utah, were evaluated. Fresh water and the water after processing through various pretreatment steps and after ED (electrodialysis) desalting and by desalting processes was demonstrated by the LVS site test program. The relative merit of different methods of treatment, disposal, and reuse of LVS water were studied. The objectives of the study were to evaluate methods for preventing high salinity LVS water from entering the Virgin River and for utilizing the processed water in energy development. The disposal of water by (1) deep well injection, (2) use as a secondary coolant in a binary cooling tower, (3) use in solar salt-gradient ponds, and (4) use as a transport media for coal slurry pipelines were found to be technically feasible. Use of LVS water to transport coal to a consuming powerplant and subsequent reuse in a binary cooling tower and/or solar salt-gradient ponds would achieve both objectives of salt reduction and energy conservation. Because LVS water has a salt content of 9500 mg/L and a boron content of 5 mg/L, it cannot be directly used for irrigation.

Impacts of Projected Climate Change on Urban Water Use

United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation — Tue, 03 May 2011 11:29:54 PDT

Urban water use, particularly outdoor use, responds to changes in temperature, precipitation, and other climatic parameters. This study significantly improved the capacity of an existing regional water demand model to estimate the response of both residential and commercial-industrial water demand to changes in climatic parameters. The resulting functional relationships derived from historic time-series climatic and water use data were applied to global climate scenarios for the four Wasatch Front counties of Utah.

Interior West Watershed Management

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:20:33 PDT

Habitat type classification systems are reviewed for potential use in watershed management. Information on climate, soils, and vegetation related to the classifications are discussed. Possible cooperative applications of vegetation and habitat type classifications to watershed management are explored.

Utah Climate and Water Report

U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:42:30 PDT

Provides a snapshot of current and immediate past climatic conditions and other information useful to agricultural and water user interests in Utah.