Barstow Groundwater Basin

Barstow Groundwater Basin
Name	Barstow Groundwater Basin
Location	Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California, United States
Coordinates	34°53′N 117°01′W
Type	Groundwater basin
Area	~120 sq mi
Principal aquifer	Alluvial aquifer
Managed by	Mojave Water Agency; San Bernardino County; City of Barstow

Barstow Groundwater Basin is a groundwater storage area in the Mojave Desert near Barstow, California in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The basin underlies parts of the Mojave River valley and is influenced by regional features such as the Victor Valley, Hesperia, and the Mojave National Preserve. It supplies local municipal, industrial, and agricultural needs and is managed within frameworks involving the Mojave Water Agency, California State Water Resources Control Board, and federal agencies including the United States Geological Survey.

Geography and Hydrogeology

The basin occupies an alluvial plain between the San Bernardino Mountains and the Mojave Desert highlands, drained by the intermittent Mojave River and bounded by fault systems including the Garlock Fault and the San Andreas Fault. Neighboring geographic and administrative entities include Barstow, California, Daggett, California, Newberry Springs, and the Mojave Air and Space Port. Regional transport corridors such as Interstate 15, Interstate 40, and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway traverse the area, reflecting historical ties to Route 66. Hydrogeologically, the basin comprises Quaternary alluvium, playa deposits, and buried channels linked to recharge from adjacent mountain watersheds like the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains.

Geology and Aquifer Characteristics

Underlying units include fluvial and lacustrine deposits derived from the Transverse Ranges and Basin and Range province, with clastic sediments similar to those described in studies by the United States Geological Survey and the California Geological Survey. Aquifer materials range from coarse gravels to fine sands and silts, creating heterogeneous transmissivity and storage properties akin to other basins studied near Victorville, California and Barstow, California. Structural controls involve folding and faulting related to the Garlock Fault system and basin-bounding structures recognized by geologists from institutions such as the University of California, Riverside and the California Institute of Technology.

Groundwater Hydrology and Recharge

Groundwater flow is generally downgradient from recharge areas in the San Bernardino Mountains and adjacent alluvial fans toward discharge zones along the Mojave River reach and playa areas near Afton Canyon and Soda Lake (California). Recharge mechanisms include episodic infiltration from high-flow events on the Mojave River, mountain-front recharge from snowmelt in the San Bernardino Mountains, managed aquifer recharge projects implemented by the Mojave Water Agency, and occasional artificial recharge associated with stormwater infrastructure tied to agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Department of Water Resources. Groundwater models developed with tools used by the United States Geological Survey and academic partners at California State University, San Bernardino simulate responses to pumping, drought, and recharge variability.

Water Use and Management

Primary water users include the City of Barstow, California, industrial users linked to logistics and transportation corridors such as the Union Pacific Railroad, agricultural operations in Newberry Springs, and military or aerospace facilities including the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and the Mojave Air and Space Port. Management authorities include the Mojave Water Agency, San Bernardino County departments, and regional water districts that coordinate with the California State Water Resources Control Board and the Bureau of Reclamation. Water supply portfolios combine groundwater production, surface water rights on the Mojave River, and imported supplies conveyed through infrastructure connected to programs like the State Water Project and federal conveyance projects historically administered alongside the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

Water Quality and Contamination Issues

Water quality concerns documented in the region reflect elevated concentrations of naturally occurring constituents such as arsenic and nitrate in parts of the basin, and anthropogenic impacts including hexavalent chromium and perchlorate associated with industrial, military, and historical railway activities tied to entities like the Santa Fe Railway and facilities associated with the Department of Defense. Investigations and remediation efforts have involved the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, with site assessments informed by analytical work from laboratories cooperating with the United States Geological Survey and academic institutions such as the University of California, Los Angeles. Salinity gradients and total dissolved solids vary with depth and proximity to discharge zones, affecting suitability for municipal and agricultural uses as regulated under state drinking water standards enforced by the California Department of Public Health.

History and Development

Human use of groundwater in the basin dates to indigenous presence in the Mojave Desert and later settlement along historic transportation routes including the Old Spanish Trail and Route 66. Development accelerated with railroads like the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and military expansions such as the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and logistics bases. Twentieth-century growth in Barstow, California and surrounding communities spurred drilling, well-field expansion, and institutional responses culminating in establishment of agencies like the Mojave Water Agency and regional planning by San Bernardino County. Scientific investigations by the United States Geological Survey and state agencies during the 20th and 21st centuries documented aquifer properties, recharge dynamics, and the impacts of groundwater extraction.

Monitoring, Regulation, and Conservation

Ongoing monitoring networks maintained by the Mojave Water Agency, the United States Geological Survey, and San Bernardino County include production well inventories, water-level measurement, and water-quality sampling coordinated with the California State Water Resources Control Board and the California Department of Water Resources. Regulatory frameworks derive from California statutes implemented by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act overseen through local agencies and coordinated with state entities, while conservation programs involve urban water conservation measures adopted by municipalities such as the City of Barstow, agricultural efficiency projects in Newberry Springs, and habitat-focused initiatives linked to the Mojave Desert Land Trust and the Bureau of Land Management. Adaptive management uses hydrologic monitoring, groundwater modeling by universities like the University of California, Riverside, and interagency agreements to balance extraction, recharge, and ecosystem needs.

Category:Aquifers of California Category:San Bernardino County, California