Briefing for the Office of Senator Harry Reid

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Science to Sustain At-Risk Terminal Lakes
The Walker Project
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Progress Report To Walker River Paiute Tribe

• August 25, 2005
• By
• Project Hydrologist Kip K. Allander
• Project Chief Thomas J. Lopes

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Location of Walker River Basin
Walker R. at Lateral 2-A near Schurz
West Walker R. near Hudson
East Walker R. above Strosnider Ditch near Mason
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Overview

• Problem
• Purpose and objectives of project
• Status of activities and accomplishments
• Plans for upcoming year

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Walker Lake Salinity
Thomas, J.M., 1995, Water budget and salinity of
Walker Lake, western Nevada USGS Fact Sheet
FS-115-95, 4 p.
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Walker River Streamflow
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Objectives

• Better quantify streamflow in the Walker Basin
• Estimate evapotranspiration losses from the lake
  and natural and agricultural vegetation
• Develop an improved water budget for Walker Lake
• Develop a model to predict how changes in
  upstream irrigation practices would affect flows
  into Walker Lake

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Accomplishments

• Surface-Water (SW) network
• Ground-Water (GW) network
• Evapotranspiration (ET) network
• Mapping
• Web Site

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SW Network

• SW Sites

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SW Network -upgrades
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New Stream Gages

• Green Ck near Bridgeport Virginia Ck
  near Bridgeport

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Real-Time Data on Walker Lake Gage
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Recent Daily Data on Walker Lake Gage
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GW Network

• GW sites

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Ground-Water/Surface-Water Sites

• Willows ET (above Weber)
• Cow Camp Gage
• Lateral 2-A Gage
• Powerline Road
• Walker River at Mouth

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GW/SW Site Locations
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ET Network
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Evapotranspiration (ET) Stations

• Alfalfa (2) Mason Valley WMA
• Willow Above Weber Reservoir
• Greasewood Southeast of Schurz
• Rabbit Brush Near Feedlot
• Salt Grass South of Feedlot
• Tamarisk South of Powerline Road
• Open Water Walker Lake

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Alfalfa Mason Valley WMA
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Willows Above Weber
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Rabbit Brush Near Feedlot
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Greasewood Southeast of Schurz
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Salt Grass South of Feedlot
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Salt Cedar South of Powerline Road
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Open Water Walker Lake
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Mapping

• Satellite imagery
• Lidar
• Bathymetry
• Side-scan sonar

Bathymetry
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Lidar Principle
Returned Backscatter
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Walker Lake bathymetry Refined elevation/volume
relations
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Bathymetry
Maximum depth in January 2005 was 81.4 ft
Provisional Data, Subject to revision
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Walker Lake Spring Deposits

• Side-scan sonar

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Side-Scan Sonar

• High Resolution Sonar technique
• Used for detailed mapping

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Web Site

• http//nevada.usgs.gov/walker/

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Plans for Upcoming Year

• Continue to collect data Data network is
  essentially in full operation
• Develop elevation/volume relations for Walker
  Lake
• Classify and map vegetation
• Geophysics near Double Springs and river mouth
• Obtain water level at Double Springs Well
• Install additional observation wells to refine
  hydrologic understanding of GW system

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