Book Description

The regional aquifer system of the eastern Snake River Plain is an important component of the hydrologic system in eastern Idaho. The aquifer was thought to be the largest unified ground-water reservoir on the North American continent but is probably second to the Floridian aquifer in the southeastern United States. Flow in the aquifer is from major recharge areas in the northeastern part of the plain to discharge areas in the southwestern part. A comprehensive analysis of the occurrence and movement of water in the aquifer was presented by Garabedian. The analysis included a description of the recharge and discharge, the hydraulic properties, and a numerical model of the aquifer. The purposes of this report are to: (1) describe compartments in the aquifer that function as intermediate and regional flow systems, (2) describe pathlines for flow originating at or near the water table, and (3) quantify traveltimes for adjective transport originating at or near the water table. The model constructed for this study and described in this report will aid those concerned with the management and protection of the aquifer. The model will serve as a tool to further our understanding of the aquifer and will aid in assessing the needs for future flow and transport studies of the aquifer.