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USGS · 70179031

Seepage study of the South Bend, Richfield, and Vermillion Canals, Sevier County, Utah

Abstract

A seepage investigation was made in 1987 on selected reaches of the South Bend, Richfield, and Vermillion Canals in Sevier County, Utah, to determine gains or losses in discharge. Fluctuations in discharge were adjusted using information from stage recorders operated at selected locations during each set of discharge measurements. The investigation showed a net gain of 0.2 cubic foot per second in the South Bend canal: the upper reach gained 1.5 cubic feet per second, the two middle reaches together lost 2.5 cubic feet per second, and the lower reach gained 1.2 cubic feet per second. The Richfield Canal showed a net loss of 2.4 cubic feet per second: the two upper reaches together lost 4.4 cubic feet per second and the two lower reaches together gained 2.0 cubic feet per second. The Vermillion canal showed a net loss of 0.2 cubic foot per second: the upper reach gained 2.3 cubic feet per second and the lower reach lost 2.5 cubic feet per second.

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90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 38° to 39° latitude; -112.25° to -111.9° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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BibTeXRIS

L. R. Herbert, G. J. Smith. 1989. Seepage study of the South Bend, Richfield, and Vermillion Canals, Sevier County, Utah. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70179031

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Hydrology and simulation of ground-water flow in Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah

Kamas Valley, Utah, is located about 50 miles east of Salt Lake City and is undergoing residential development. The increasing number of wells and septic systems raised concerns of water managers and prompted this hydrologic study. About 350,000 acre-feet per year of surface water flows through Kamas Valley in the Weber River, Beaver Creek, and Provo River, which originate in the Uinta Mountains east of the study area. The ground-water system in this area consists of water in unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock; water budgets indicate very little interaction between consolidated rock and unconsolidated deposits. Most recharge to consolidated rock occurs at higher altitudes in the mountains and discharges to streams and springs upgradient of Kamas Valley. About 38,000 acre-feet per year of water flows through the unconsolidated deposits in Kamas Valley. Most recharge is from irrigation and seepage from major streams; most discharge is to Beaver Creek in the middle part of the valley. Long-term water-level fluctuations range from about 3 to 17 feet. Seasonal fluctuations exceed 50 feet. Transmissivity varies over four orders of magnitude in both the unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock and is typically 1,000 to 10,000 feet squared per day in unconsolidated deposits and 100 feet squared per day in consolidated rock as determined from specific capacity. Water samples collected from wells, streams, and springs had nitrate plus nitrite concentrations (as N) substantially less than 10 mg/L. Total and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in some surface-water samples and probably originate from livestock. Septic systems do not appear to be degrading water quality. A numerical ground-water flow model developed to test the conceptual understanding of the ground-water system adequately simulates water levels and flow in the unconsolidated deposits. Analyses of model fit and sensitivity were used to refine the conceptual and numerical models.

Utah