Character and evolution of the ground-water flow system in the central part of the western San Joaquin Valley, California
- 1 January 1988
- report
- Published by US Geological Survey in Open-File Report
Abstract
The occurrence of selenium in agricultural drain water derived from the western San Joaquin Valley, California, has focused concern on the groundwater flow system of the western valley. Previous work and recently collected texture and water level data were used to evaluate the character and evolution of the regional groundwater flow system in the central part of the western valley, with particular emphasis on the deposits overlying the Corcoran Clay Member of the Tulane Formation. The Corcoran Clay Member, where present, divides the flow system into an upper semiconfined zone and a lower confined zone. Above the Corcoran, three geohydrologic units can be recognized: Coast Range alluvium, Sierran sand, and flood-basin deposits. These units differ in texture, hydrologic properties, and oxidation state. The development of irrigated agriculture in the central part of the western valley has significantly altered the flow system. Percolation of irrigation water past crop roots has caused...Keywords
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