Cuyama Valley


Water Quality in the Cuyama Valley, California

Samples taken to measure water-quality for this study were collected from 12 monitoring wells, 27 domestic and supply wells, two springs, and four surface-water sites. These samples were analyzed for a variety of constituents that differed by site, but, in general, included trace elements; nutrients; dissolved organic carbon; major and minor ions; silica; total dissolved solids; alkalinity; total arsenic and iron; arsenic, chromium, and iron species; and isotopic tracers, including the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, activities of tritium, and carbon-14 abundance.

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Isotopic composition of groundwater collected from multiple-well monitoring site CVKR, and selected water-supply and irrigation wells and surface water collected from Cuyama and Reyes Creeks, Cuyama Valley, California.

The location of multiple-well monitoring sites, domestic and supply wells, springs, and surface water sites with available water-quality data, Cuyama Valley, Santa Barbara County, California.


Of the 39 wells sampled, concentrations of total dissolved solids and sulfate from 38 and 37 well samples, respectively, were greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s secondary maximum contaminant levels Concentrations greater than the maximum contaminant levels for nitrate were observed in five wells and were observed for arsenic in four wells.


Selected water-chemistry constituents for the CVKR monitoring site, Cuyama Valley, California.
Abbreviations: ND denotes no detection.
State & local well number Screened interval (feet below land surface) Total dissolved solids (milligrams per liter) Nitrate plus nitrate, as nitrogen (milligrams per liter) Delta deuterium (δD per mil) Delta oxygen-18 (δ18O per mil) Tritium (picocuries per liter) Uncorrected carbon-14 age (years before present)
10N/25W-19P2 (CVKR-1) 960 - 980 1,580 ND -71.3 -9.86 ND 6,300
10N/25W-19P3 (CVKR-2) 760 - 780 1,500 0.54 -70.8 -9.92 ND 4,600
10N/25W-19P4 (CVKR-3) 600 - 620 1,560 7.0 -69.3 -9.64 0.3 3,700
10N/25W-19P5 (CVKR-4) 440 - 460 1,820 15.2 -66.3 -9.52 0.5 3,600
Piper diagrams depicting major-ion composition for groundwater samples, Cuyama Valley, California, collected from the selected multiple-well monitoring sites; and multiple-well monitoring sites, domestic and supply wells grouped by zone.

Piper diagrams depicting major-ion composition for groundwater samples, Cuyama Valley, California, collected from A, the selected multiple-well monitoring sites; and B, multiple-well monitoring sites, domestic and supply wells grouped by zone.


Cooperators

Prepared in cooperation with Santa Barbara County Water Agency


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Publications

Hanson, R.T., Flint, L.E., Faunt, C.C., Gibbs, D.R., and Schmid, W., 2014,
Hydrologic models and analysis of water availability in Cuyama Valley, California: U.S Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5150, 150 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145150.
Hanson, Randall T., and Sweetkind, Donald, 2014,
Cuyama Valley, California hydrologic study—An assessment of water availability: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2014-3075, 4 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20143075.

Contacts

Claudia C. Faunt, Ph.D., P.E.
Program Chief, Groundwater Availability and Use Assessments
U.S. Geological Survey
California Water Science Center
4165 Spruance Road, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92101
619.225.6100
ccfaunt@usgs.gov

Matthew Scrudato
Senior Hydrologist
Santa Barbara County Public Works Department
620 West Foster Road
Santa Maria, CA 93455
mscruda@cosbpw.net