Long-awaited Groundwater Study Published

The U. S. Geological Survey, the U. S. Department of the Interior's sole scientific agency, has published, in cooperation with the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), two studies of the groundwater in the Harney Basin:

1. Groundwater Resources of the Harney Basin, Southeastern Oregon provides and understanding of the groundwater flow system. This study concludes that precipitation in the Blue Mountains and Steens Mountain sufficiently recharges water in upland areas, but that pumping of water in lowland areas for irrigation exceeds the rate of recharge. This is because (a) water is lost by the evapo-transpiration of groundwater-irrigated crops, and (b) soils around the crops areas have low permeability and are unable to return water efficiently to the ground. Further, the study states that most of the water being pumped from the Harney Basin lowlands was recharged 12,000 years ago, near the end of the last glacial period.
2. Hydrologic Budget of the Harney Basis Groundwater System, Southeastern Oregon estimates the rates of water movement and the change in water storage in all or parts of the atmosphere, land surface, and subsurface compartments within the Harney Basin. The groundwater budget for the uplands of Harney Basin is minimally affected by human activity and generally reflects the budget of the natural system. Recharge occurs as infiltration of precipitation and snowmelt. Uplands discharge water to streams and springs. The lowlands are predominantly recharged by infiltration of surface water through streams, floodwater, and irrigation. Upland groundwater flow and discharge beneath Malheur and Harney Lakes also recharge the lowlands to a lesser extent. In lowland areas during 1982-2016, the mean annual groundwater recharge totaled 173,000 acre-ft and groundwater discharge was 283,000 acre-ft, indicating discharge exceed recharge by more than 60 percent. Under current conditions, the hydrologic budget is out of balance and will remain so until crop evapo-transpiration and pumping discharge rates match the recharge rate.