Impacts on Crab Creek
 
Generalized ground-water-flow pattern in the Columbia Plateau aquifer system.
 
 
 
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Columbia Institute for Water Policy
             Contents
•  Odessa Summary Points
•  Introduction
•  The Odessa Aquifers
•  Columbia Basin Project
•  1971 WSU Study
•  Cascading Wells
•  Impacts on Crab Creek
•  Odessa Economics
•  Solutions
•  Conclusions
IMPACTS ON CRAB CREEK Pumping from Odessa Aquifers is also causing surface water depletion. The Odessa basalt aquifer system feeds Upper Crab Creek, an intermittent stream which is deeply incised into the Columbia basalts. According to the local watershed assessment, Crab Creek receives a substantial portion of its flow from the Wanapum basalt aquifers. It is unknown to what extent the groundwater pumping is contributing to low flows and complete de-watering of Crab Creek, however, the Odessa Subarea Aquifers do discharge to Crab Creek and other small streams in the area. Their decline in basalt aquifer levels is likely having some effect on streamflow. Map of Crab Creek, (source: WRIA 43 Upper Crab-Wilson, Washington Dept of Ecology WEB: Coulee cross section, conceptual drawing of flow (WRIA 43 TA Report) Links: Dep’t of Ecology’s Crab Creek website http://www.ecy.wa.gov/apps/watersheds/wriapages/43.html WRIA 43 Technical Assessment of Crab Creek (Kennedy Jenks 2005) http://mapdata.info/wria43/phase2.htm USGS diagram of Columbia basalts. To enlarge diagram, click here. (Source: Whiteman, K. J.; Vaccaro, J. J.; Gonthier, J. B.; Bauer, H. H., The hydrogeologic framework and geochemistry of the Columbia Plateau Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper No. 1413-B (1994))http://www.ecy.wa.gov/apps/watersheds/wriapages/43.htmlhttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/apps/watersheds/wriapages/43.htmlhttp://mapdata.info/wria43/phase2.htmhttp://www.waterplanet.ws/pdf/wpoa20061018.pdfhttp://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/pp/pp1413Bshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1shapeimage_4_link_2shapeimage_4_link_3shapeimage_4_link_4