Water Salinity Study for the Southern San Pitch Drainage System in Sanpete County, Utah
Water Salinity Study for the Southern San Pitch Drainage System in Sanpete County, Utah
By: Janae Wallace, J. Lucy Jordan, Christian Hardwick, and Hugh Hurlow
This project determines the sources and extent of salinity in the lower San Pitch River drainage and adjoining Gunnison Irrigation Company canal system in southern Sanpete Valley using data we acquired over two field seasons documenting water quality and quantity along different reaches within the San Pitch River and Twelvemile Creek as well as nearby canals and springs. We use geologic mapping and geophysical techniques (TEM) to isolate and identify regions in the subsurface that likely have an influence on river salinity. The data collected for this study provide information necessary to make targeted management decisions to reduce salinity and provide for a sustainable supply of acceptable/suitable quality irrigation water for the GIC and its water users. Overall, our maps emphasize areas of higher and lower salinity sources and show calculated salt load to the San Pitch River.
