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Show Experimental Water' Spreading for Ground-Water Storage in Salt Lake Valley, Utah By A. J. LAZENBYl ABSTRCT the western base of the Wasatch Mountains, the westerly Rocky Mountain System, are numerous ground-water areas. The ground water occurs in irregular stream and lake deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel-s-under water-table conditions near the base of the moun tains, and generally under artesian conditions beginning at a distance of 1 to 3 miles from the base of the mountains. Natural recharge of the ground water occurs by the deep percolation of surface water running over, and precipitation on, the alluvial cones and bench lands adjacent to the base of Adjacent range to of the the mountains. A series of tests were made to determine whether or not the natural recharge could be supplemented by the artificial application of surplus surface water over selected areas in the recharge belt. The areas selected were adjacent to and southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. During the first test water was obtained from Parley's Creek and con veyed to an abandoned reservoir near the area of flowing wells. A number of wells and springs near this reservoir were used to observe the effects upon the ground-water levels. Approximatly 4 cubic feet per second of water perco lated through the bottom of the reservoir for 31 days and a rise of the water level in some of the observation wells was obtained within two or three days. The rise of the water level in the wells occurred over an area of approxi mately 400 acres with a maximum rise of 7.58 feet in a well near the res ervoir. During the second test water was obtained from Mill and Parley's Creeks and conveyed into old gravel pits nearer the base of the Wasatch Mountains. Approximately 6 cubic feet per second of water was absorbed by the pits for 35 days, but the observation wells, which were shallow and at some dis tance from the gravel pits, showed no increase in head. Tests of seepage losses in ditches and canals in the area indicated that much water was lost into the ground-water basins. Tests on one ditch showed a seepage loss of 74% of the total flow over a length of 2 miles. It is concluded that the ground-water reservoirs adjacent to the Wasatch Mountains can and should be artificially recharged by surplus surface water. Engineer in charge Waterworks, of Wells and Investigations, Salt Lake City Corporation. 27 Department of Water Supply and |
