Ground Water Atlas of the United States -
Segment 1 California Nevada
Well yields
Well yields in Butte Valley are highly variable because of the permeability
differences in the rocks and deposits. Yields vary greatly in the volcanic rocks
and the Butte Valley Basalt because permeability depends on the thickness of the
flow units and the degree of fracturing within the flows. Wells that penetrate
such rocks in areas where flows are thin and contacts between flows are numerous
generally have large yields. Yields of wells completed in the lake deposits
likewise vary with location. The predominance of fine-grained lake sediments in
the northern, northwestern, and central parts of the valley preclude large
yields. Conversely, numerous wells are completed in large sand and gravel beds
in the lake deposits on the eastern and southern sides of the valley.
Yields of wells completed in the lake deposits and pyroclastic rocks range from
1,500 to 4,000 gallons per minute. Specific capacities of individual wells range
from 16 to 97 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. Wells completed in the
Butte Valley Basalt yield from 1,000 to more than 4,000 gallons per minute.
Yields from wells completed in the volcanic rocks are highly variable and range
from 700 to 5,000 gallons per minute.
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