U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Flow and other Computer Simulations

Many current and past ground-water investigations have included the development of computer models to simulate how water or chemical solutes move through local and regional aquifers. Computer models are used to help hydrologists understand how flow systems work and sometimes to project how flow systems might be affected by changes in the hydrologic cycle. These changes could be natural or created by the activities of humans. Thirty-seven computer models have been developed or are in the process of being developed. Most developed and documented models are available in digital form for use by water managers and planners. The areas for which computer models of flow systems are available are listed below. Contact the USGS Water Resources Division, Utah District office to obtain more information on the area you are interested in.

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Local Aquifer Simulations

1. Beaver Valley, Beaver County
   • Technical Publication 63 - Hydrology of the Beaver Valley area, Beaver County, Utah, with emphasis on ground water, R.W. Mower, 1978
2. Beryl-Enterprise, Iron County
• Open-File Report 81-532 - Digital-computer model of the principal ground-water reservoir in Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Utah, R.W. Mower and S.D. Bartholoma, 52 p.
• Technical Publication 73 - Hydrology of the Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Utah, with emphasis on ground water, R.W. Mower, 1982.
3. Bonneville Salt Flats, 1997
   • Professional Paper 1585 -Hydrology of the Bonneville Salt Flats, northwestern Utah, and simulation of ground-water flow and solute transport in the shallow-brine aquifer, J.L. Mason and K.L. Kipp, Jr., 1998.
   • Fact Sheet 135-97 - Investigation of salt loss from the Bonneville Salt Flats, northwestern Utah, J.L. Mason, K.L. Kipp, Jr
4. Bountiful area, Davis County
   • Technical Publication 95 - Ground-water resources and simulated effects of withdrawals in the Bountiful area, Utah, D.W. Clark, 1991.
5. Cache Valley, Cache County
   • Technical Publication 108 - Hydrology of Cache Valley, Cache County, Utah, and adjacent part of Idaho, with emphasis on ground water, K.A. Kariya, D.M. Roark, and K.K. Hanson, 1994.
6. Central Sevier Valley
   • Technical Publication 103 - Hydrology of the Central Sevier Valley, central Utah, with emphasis on the Sevier-Sigurd basin, P.M. Lambert, J.L. Mason, and R.W. Puchta, 1995
7. East Shore area, Davis County
• Technical Publication 93 - Ground-water resources and simulated effects of withdrawals in the East Shore area of Great Salt Lake, Utah, D.W. Clark, C.L. Appel, P.M. Lambert, and R.L. Puryear, 1990.
8. Ferron Sandstone, Emery County
• Water Supply Paper 2195 - Hydrology of the Ferron Sandstone aquifer and effects of proposed surface-coal mining in Castle Valley, Utah, G.C. Lines and D.S. Morrissey, 1981.
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 80-62 -Three-dimensional digital-computer model of the Ferron Sandstone aquifer near Emery, Utah, D.J. Morrissey, G.C. Lines, and S.D. Bartholoma, 1980.
9. Heber Valley, Wasatch County
• Technical Publication 101 - Hydrology of Heber and Round Valleys, Wasatch County, Utah, with emphasis on simulation of ground-water flow in Heber Valley, D.M. Roark, W.F. Holmes, and H.K. Shlosar, 1990.
10. Juab Valley, Juab County
• Technical Publication 114 - Hydrology and simulation of ground-water flow in Juab Valley, Juab County, Utah, S.A. Thiros, 1996.
11. Morgan Valley, Morgan County
• Technical Publication 77 - Ground-water reconnaissance of the central Weber River area, Morgan and Summit Counties, Utah, J.S. Gates, J.I. Steiger, and R.T. Green, 1984.
12. Navajo Sandstone, Zion National Park
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4105 -Simulation of ground-water flow and water-level declines caused by proposed withdrawals, Navajo Sandstone, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, V.M. Heilweil and G.W. Freethey, 1992.
13. Northern Utah Valley, Utah County
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 85-4007 -The ground-water system and simulated effects of ground-water withdrawals in northern Utah Valley, Utah, D.W. Clark, 1984.
14. Ogden Valley, Weber County
• Technical Publication 99 - Hydrology of Ogden Valley and the surrounding area, Eastern Weber County, Utah, and computer simulation of the valley-fill aquifer system, Charles Avery, 1995.
15. Pahvant Valley, Millard County
• Technical Publication 98 - Ground-water hydrology of Pahvant Valley and adjacent areas, Utah, W.F. Holmes and S.A. Thiros, 1990.
16. Panguitch Valley, Garfield County
• Technical Publication 102 - Ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River basin, south-central Utah, and simulation of ground-water flow in the valley-fill aquifer in Panguitch Valley, S.A. Thiros and W.C. Brothers, 1993.
17. Salt Lake Valley, Salt Lake County
• Technical Publication 87 - Ground-water conditions in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1969-83, and predicted effects of increased withdrawals from wells, K.M. Waddell, R.L. Seiler, M.Santini, and D.K. Solomon, 1987.
• Open-File Report 86-307 - Guide to user modification of a three-dimensional ground-water model for Salt Lake Valley, Utah, R.L. Seiler, 13 p.
• Technical Publication 110b - Numerical simulation of ground-water flow in basin-fill sediments in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, P.M. Lambert, 1995.
• Technical Publication 110c - Particle-tracking analysis of flow paths and travel times within the capture areas of well fields in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, P.M. Lambert, 1996.
• Technical Publication 110d - Numerical simulation of the movement of sulfate in ground water in southwestern Salt Lake Valley, Utah, P.M. Lambert, 1996, 44 p.
18. Sanpete Valley, Sanpete County
• Technical Publication 113 - Hydrology of Sanpete Valley and the San Pitch River drainage basin, Sanpete and Juab Counties, Utah, and simulation of the ground-water system, D.E. Wilberg and V.M. Heilweil.
19. Sevier Desert, Juab & Millard Co.
• Technical Publication 79 - Ground-water hydrology and projected effects of ground-water withdrawals in the Sevier Desert, Utah, W.F. Holmes, 1984.
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4179 -Three-dimensional digital-computer model of the principal ground-water reservoir of the Sevier Desert, Utah, W.F. Holmes, 1983.
20. So. Utah and Goshen Valleys, Utah County
• Technical Publication 111 - Hydrology of southern Utah and Goshen Valleys, Utah, and simulation of the ground-water system, L.E. Brooks and B.J. Stolp, 1995.
21. Spanish Valley, Grand and San Juan Counties
• Open-File Report 77-760 - A digital model of ground-water flow in Spanish Valley, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah, J.H. Eychaner, 23 p.
22. Tooele Valley, Tooele County
• Technical Publication 69 - Ground-water conditions in Tooele Valley, Utah, 1976-78, A.C. Razem and J.I. Steiger, 1980.
• Open-File Report 80-446 - Digital-computer model of ground-water flow in Tooele Valley, Utah, A.C. Razem and S.D. Bartholoma, 14 p.
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4041 - Hydrology and simulation of the ground-water flow system in Tooele Valley, Utah, P.M. Lambert and B.J. Stolp, 1999, 60 p.
23. Trail Mountain area, Wasatch Plateau
• Water Supply Paper 2259 - The ground-water system and possible effects of underground coal mining in the Trail Mountain area, central Utah, G.C. Lines, 1985.
24. Raft River unconfined aquifer
• Water Supply Paper 2060 - Simulation analysis of the unconfined aquifer, Raft River geothermal area, Idaho-Utah, W.D. Nichols, 1979.
• Open-File Report 1970C - The Raft River basin, Idaho-Utah as of l966, A reappraisal of the water resources and effects of ground-water development, E.H. Walker, L.C. Dutcher, S.O. Decker, and K.L. Dyer, 115 p.

Regional Aquifer (RASA) Simulations

25. Birds Nest aquifer, SE Uinta basin, Utah (not available in digital form)
• Water Supply Paper 2248 - Ground water in the southeastern Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado, W.F. Holmes and B.A. Kimball, 1987.
26. Douglas Creek aquifer, SE Unita basin, Utah (not available in digital form)
• Water Supply Paper 2248 - Ground water in the southeastern Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado, W.F. Holmes and B.A. Kimball, 1987.
27. Four Corners area, Utah and Arizona
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4086 -Simulation analysis of the ground-water system in Mesozoic rocks in the Four Corners area, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, B.E. Thomas, 1989.
28. Great Basin Carbonate aquifer, Nevada and Utah
• Open-File Report 93-420 - Documentation of model input and output values for simulation of regional ground-water flow, carbonate rock province, Nevada, Utah, and adjacent states, D.H. Schaefer, 4 p., one diskette.
29. Milford basin-fill aquifer, Beaver County
• Professional Paper 1409G -Ground-water hydrology and simulated effects of development in the Milford area, an arid basin in southwestern Utah, J.L. Mason, 1998.
30. Navajo Sandstone, Lake Powell, Utah and Arizona
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 85-4207 -Simulation analysis of water-level changes in the Navajo Sandstone due to changes in the altitude of Lake Powell near Wahweap Bay, Utah and Arizona, B.E. Thomas, 1985.
31. Navajo Sandstone, San Rafael Swell, Utah
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 86-4012 -Ground-water flow in the Navajo Sandstone in parts of Emery, Grand, Carbon, Wayne, Garfield, and Kane Counties, southeast Utah, Emanuel Weiss, 1987.
• Technical Publication 79 -Bedrock aquifers in the northern San Rafael Swell area, Utah, with special emphasis on the Navajo Sandstone, J.W. Hood and D.J. Patterson, 1984.
32. Uinta Basin Tertiary aquifers, Utah
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 92-4161 - Ground-water flow in the Duchesne River-Uinta aquifer, Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado, Kent C. Glover, 1996.
33. Upper Paleozoic aquifers, Utah, Colorado, Arizona
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4079 -Regional ground-water flow in upper and middle Paleozoic rocks in southeastern Utah and adjacent parts of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, Emanuel Weiss, 1991.

Other Simulations

34. Great Salt Lake Salt Balance
• Open-File Report 75-131 - Computer program to simulate the salt balance between the north and south parts of Great Salt Lake, Utah, K.M. Waddell and E.L. Bolke, 18 p.
• Open-File Report 96-428 - Water and salt balance of Great Salt Lake, Utah, and simulation of water and salt movement through the causeway, S.R. Wold, B.E. thomas, and K.M. Waddell, 63 p., 1996.
35. Milford Irrigation Recharge
• Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4072 - Water budget and simulation of one-dimensional unaturated flow for a flood- and a sprinkler-irrigated field near Milford, Utah, D.D. Susong, 1995.
36. Park City/Snyderville Energy Balance/Snowmelt Model
• Technical Publication 115 -Hydrology and snowmelt simulation of Snyderville Basin, Park City, and adjacent area, Summit County, Utah, L.E. Brooks, J.L. Mason, and D.D. Susong, 1998, 84 p.

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