Amargosa River Hydrogeologic Investigations

Roux and the Amargosa Conservancy are gathering water quality and flow data to support long-term habitat management and restoration. Chemical and isotope analyses will help clarify water sources, quality, and ecological interactions. This data will be incorporated into two revised State of the Basin Reports (one in 2025, the other in late 2027), which will be shared with agencies and partners to guide restoration efforts and for other uses. Additionally, recent and historical data will inform the recalibration of the Death Valley Regional Numerical Flow Model (Version 3). This model, used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and resource managers, assesses groundwater trends and project impacts. This investment in ongoing hydrological monitoring is critical in light of declining spring discharge trends in the basin, which may be indicators of future impacts to the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River and its communities.

Roux’s work includes serving as a technical expert representing the County of Inyo, California relating to potential impacts to water resources in the County of Inyo, including downgradient groundwater/spring water uses in the communities of Shoshone and Tecopa; and ecological resources associated with springs, the federally designated Amargosa Wild and Scenic River, and Death Valley National Park. Work has included reviewing existing numerical groundwater flow and transport modeling for the region; running the carbonate-aquifer model (which covers portions of California, Nevada, and Utah) developed by the USGS to evaluate the effect of pumping related to Southern Nevada Water Authority water rights and applications on vertical hydraulic gradients beneath Yucca Mountain; and preparation of comments to Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Groundwater (prepared and submitted during 2015).

In addition to these services, Roux’s Andy Zdon has been working in the basin for fifteen years developing an understanding of the Amargosa River Basin with work ranging from baseline data collection efforts to wide-ranging geochemical investigations (including isotope studies) of groundwater issuing from springs, from the Amargosa River, and in existing wells. Results have been groundbreaking, and have resulted in ongoing reevaluation of the conceptual model of this part of the basin (more than 2,000 square miles) that had been held for nearly 50 years. Being a spring-fed river, the investigations along the Amargosa River highlight the evaluation interactions between surface water and groundwater. The data has been incorporated into multiple peer-reviewed journal articles authored by Roux staff, and in a USGS report on the Lower Amargosa River Valley (Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5151).

For more information on our work in collaboration with the Amargosa Conservancy and others, please click here.

Click here to learn more about Water Resources.