GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF THE VALLEY OF GILA RIVER ... - USGS

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF THE VALLEY OF GILA RIVER AND SAN SIMON

CREEK, ARIZONA

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 796 F

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director

Water-Supply Paper 796 F

GEOLOGY AND GEOUND-WATEB BESOUBCES OF THE VALLEY OF GILA BIVEB AND SAN SIMON CBEEK, GBAHAM COUNTY, ABIZONA

BY

MAXWELL M. KNECHTEL

WITH A SECTION ON THE

CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF THE GROUND WATER

BY

E. W. LOHR

Contributions to the hydrology of the United States, 1937 (Pages 181-222)

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 1938 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. ------ Price 35 cents

CONTENTS

Page Abstract__________ ________ ___________________________________ 181 Introduction.____________________________________________ _________ 183

Scope of report.__________________________________ 183 Acknowledgments. _ ___________________________________________ 183 Location and geography _ __________________________ 183 Maps and surveys-____________________________________________ 185 Routes of travel__ _ ____________________________________ 185 Towns and settlements. ________________________________ 186 Population____._______ __________________________________ 186 Climate _______________________________________________ 186 Native vegetation.______________________________________ 187 Agriculture. ________________________________________ 187 Geomorphology __________________________________________ 188 San Simon Valley _ ____________________________________________ 188 Gila Valley.__________________________________________________ 190

General features______ ___________________________________ 190 Upper terrace.----...----_______ _____________________ 192 Lower terrace____________________________________________ 193 Alluvial plains. _____ ____________________________ 193 Geology-________________.._____-___--_________-_______-__----___- 194 Structure--___________________________ _____________ 194 Metamorphic and igneous rocks_ _ _______________________________ 195 Sedimentary rocks.____________________________________________ 196 Gila conglomerate,________________________________________ 196

General features. _______________ r _________________- 196 Fossils. ______________________________________________ 198 Pleistocene (?) terrace gravel._______________________________ 200 Quaternary alluvium.. _____________________________________ 200 Deep-well records___________________ _____________________ _ 202 Summary of Tertiary and Quaternary history _ ___________________ 204 Water resources._ __________________^______________l____J__----__- 205 Summary _________________________________ _________ _______ 205 Municipal water supplies._________ ____________________________ 206 Surface-water irrigation. _________________________________ 206 Ground water_ ____________________________________________ 207 Wells in alluvium________________________________________ 207 Wells in fanglomerate phase of the Gila conglomerate._________ 208 Wells in lake beds of the Gila conglomerate.__________________ 208 Wells in the deep sands..______-______-_--__------___----__ 212 Springs_________________________________________________ 214 Depth-temperature relations._______________________________ 217 Chemical character of the ground water, by E. W. Lohr________ 217 Analyses and well records.____________________---__----____ 221

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IV

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page PLATE 45. Topographic map of Graham County and vicinity, Arizona____ 184

46. Map showing geology, wells, and springs in parts of the valley of the Gila River and San Simon Creek, Graham County, Ariz__________________________________________ In pocket

47. A, View looking north over irrigated lowlands along the Gila River near Solomonsville; B, View looking northwest down San Simon Valley from a point near Tanque______________ 192

48. A, View looking north along San Simon Creek near Solomonsville; B, San Simon Creek near Tanque_-----___------___- 192

49. A, Remnants of upper terrace on flank of Graham Mountains; B, View looking south toward Graham Mountains from point near Thatcher.__________________________________ 192

50. A, Lake beds exposed at Red Knolls "desert theater", in valley \% miles southwest of Ashurst; B, Gila conglomerate on Big Spring Wash, near center of T. 5 S., R. 25 E_______________ 192

51. A, Badlands developed in fossiliferous lake beds about 2 miles west of Bear Springs, T. 7 S., R. 23 E.; B, Fossiliferous lake beds near 111 ranch, in sec. 27, T. 8 S., R. 28 E__________ 200

52. A, Diatomite with thin chert layers in lake beds 1 mile east of 111 ranch; B, Cienaga Springs, in Jacobson Wash, east of Cactus Flat________.____________--______--___--__-_-_ 200

53. A, Flow of warm water from Final Oil Co.'s Whitlock No. 1 well, in sec. 36, T. 10 S., R. 28 E.; B, Indian Hot Springs____ 216

FIGURE 29. Index map of Arizona, showing area considered in this report and other water-supply papers of the Geological Survey. __ 184

30. Section showing artesian conditions in the lake beds of the valley of the Gila River and San Simon Creek____________ 210

31. Map of Pima, showing locations of wells___________________ 211 32. Map of Safford, showing locations of wells ________________ 212 33. Map of Thatcher, showing locations of wells _______________ 21S

INSERT

Page Records of wells in Graham County, Ariz_______________________-____ 222

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