Hydrogeology of the Penoyer Valley region, Central Nevada
Groundwater in the vicinity of Penoyer Valley in central Nevada is part of the White River Flow system that drains from Jakes Valley in the north to Muddy River Springs in the south, a distance of 320 km (200mi). A four-basin subregion was modeled that indicates Penoyer, Garden, Coal, and Tikaboo Valleys are hydraulically connected. This connection is facilitated by carbonate rock formations found in the Worthington Mountains and the Timpahute Range, located on the eastern and southern perimeter of Penoyer Valley. Although Penoyer Valley and Garden Valley are hydraulically connected, it is likely that groundwater does not flow across the Worthington Mountains, which serve as a hydrologic divide between Penoyer and Garden Valleys. However, it is likely that groundwater is transmitted south from Penoyer Valley through the Timpahute Range to Tikaboo Valley; Range bounding faults associated with Tertiary extension serve as structural controls located along the western and eastern flanks of the Worthington Mountains, and along the western, eastern, southern and northern flanks of the Timpahute Range. Range bounding faults may channel groundwater along the strike of the fault, or may act as conduits or barriers to groundwater movement. Detailed models were performed for both the Worthington Mountains and Timpahute Range in order to simulate the effect of fault zones. The Worthington and Timpahute models simulated range-bounding, extensional faulting of variable hydraulic conductivities. Model simulations for the Worthington Mountains and Timpahute Range show that faults function as conduits when hydraulic conductivities are high. Similarly, range bounding faults function as barriers when hydraulic conductivities are low.
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