Geohydrologic and water-quality data in the vicinity of the Rialto-Colton Fault, San Bernardino, California

Nicholas F. Teague; Anthony A. Brown; Linda R. Woolfenden

doi:10.3133/ds813

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Geohydrologic and water-quality data in the vicinity of the Rialto-Colton Fault, San Bernardino, California

Nicholas F. Teague·Anthony A. Brown·Linda R. Woolfenden

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Abstract

The Rialto-Colton Basin is in western San Bernardino County, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, California. The basin is bounded by faults on the northeast and southwest sides and contains multiple barriers to groundwater flow. The structural geology of the basin leads to complex hydrology. Between 2001 and 2008, in an effort to better understand the complex hydrologic system of the Rialto-Colton Basin, seven multiple-well monitoring sites were constructed. Two to six observation wells were installed in the borehole at each site; a total of 32 observation wells were installed. This report presents geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data collected from these seven multiple-well monitoring sites. Descriptions of the collected drill cuttings were compiled into lithologic logs for each monitoring site. The lithologic logs are summarized along with the geophysical logs, including gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, resistivity, and electromagnetic induction tool logs. At selected sites, sonic tool logs also were recorded. Periodic water-level measurements are reported, and water-level data are displayed on hydrographs. Water levels at multiple-well monitoring sites in the northern part of the study area differed between the shallow and deep observation wells; in the remaining multiple-well monitoring sites, water levels differed little with depth. Along the southern trace of the Rialto-Colton Fault, water levels are slightly higher east of the fault than west of the fault. Selected water-quality data for 21 of the observation wells show water from wells in the northern and central parts of the study area is calcium-carbonate water. In the southern part of the study area, water from wells screened above 400 feet below land surface is of mixed type or is calcium-carbonate water. Water from wells screened greater than 400 feet below land surface in the southern part of the study area is sodium-carbonate or sodium-mixed anion water. Water from most wells in the study area plots above the Global Meteoric Water Line along an apparent local meteoric water line, indicating the water has not experienced substantial evaporation before infiltration. A few samples from shallow wells in the study area plot slightly to the right of the Global Meteoric Water Line, possibly indicating the water experienced some evaporation before recharge.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 34.050113° to 34.24764° latitude; -117.424317° to -117.164972° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Nicholas F. Teague, Anthony A. Brown, Linda R. Woolfenden. 2014. Geohydrologic and water-quality data in the vicinity of the Rialto-Colton Fault, San Bernardino, California. https://doi.org/10.3133/ds813

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