| Discharge monitoring and water sampling of springs in the southeastern portion of Cache Valley, Utah was performed to determine recharge sources and the cause of decreasing flows for some springs. The discharges of 43 springs were measured monthly from May or June of 2005 through March of 2006. Water samples from 46 springs were analyzed for major ions and trace metals. Twenty-one of the springs were analyzed for deuterium and oxygen-18 and 10 of these were analyzed for tritium.; Because of the evaporative signature in the stable isotopes, the similarity of major ion and trace metal values, and the discharge trends observed throughout the year, it seems unlikely that the springs are directly connected hydraulically with the deep, confined aquifer, from which most of the wells in the valley withdraw their water. Thus, the recent drought, rather than increased pumping, probably has been responsible for decreases in spring discharges. |
