Streamflow and water quality effects of groundwater discharge to Steamboat Creek, Nevada

Abstract

The rate of groundwater discharge to Steamboat Creek varies with location but is greatest adjacent to Steamboat Springs, at the Huffaker Narrows, and near the Truckee River confluence. Total groundwater discharge to the creek in the Truckee Meadows is estimated from current meter measurements to be within the range of 7.1 cfs to 28 cfs, with a mean of 17 cfs or 12,500 acre-feet per year (af/y). The specific conductance of groundwater entering Steamboat Creek varies from a high of 2,400 umho/cm near Steamboat Springs to a low of 600 umho/cm near the Truckee River confluence. The consistent B:C1 relationship in water samples supports the conclusion that Steamboat Springs is the primary source of boron in the Truckee Meadows. The As:SC4 ratio in the Truckee Meadows is closer to the AsiSO4 ratio near Steamboat Springs than near the Virginia Range, indicating the springs as the origin of much of the aqueous arsenic in the Truckee Meadows.