Drinking water source : Protection Plan : Canyonlands National Park

Martin, Larry

The Needles area of Canyonlands National Park is the only area of the Park having a public water supply source. Water for public use in the Maze area is hauled from Moab. Water for public consumption at Island in the Sky is hauled from Arches National Park. Potable water for the Needles area is supplied from a shallow well near Cave Spring. Various other shallow wells in this general area have been the water source in the past. The wells have obtained water from the alluvial sands or the upper part of the Cedar Mesa Sandstone Member of the Cutler Formation in the Squaw Canyon Creek and Salt Creek drainages. Saline groundwater is encountered in wells drilled deeper than 200 feet. Available information does not allow us to delineate the area of groundwater flow to the well for various travel times, as prescribed by Utah Division of Drinking Water. Hydrologic data is inadequate to determine even the direction of groundwater flow, although it is generally believed that groundwater flow is northwesterly, toward the Colorado River. Therefore, we used the optional two-mile radius for developing this drinking water source protection plan. There are few potential contaminants in the area. There are no potential contaminant sources in the area that are not under the direct control of the National Park Service. The following procedures are recommended to reduce the potential for contamination of the ground-water resource and drinking water supply at the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park. 1 . Continue periodic monitoring of water quality at monitor wells adjacent to the abandoned landfill. 2. Continue leak detection monitoring at the diesel fuel and gasoline storage tanks. 3. Provide secondary containment for all fuel, oil, and solvent containers. 4. Continue periodic inspection of areas where paint, solvents, etc. are stored in the maintenance area. 5. Purchase paint, solvents, etc. on an as-needed basis to reduce quantities stored on site. 6. Plug and abandon all unused wells in the Needles area. This probably includes Well Nos. 3A, 3B, 4, 5 and 6. Piezometers and monitor wells associated with these wells should also be plugged and abandoned.

Drinking water source : Protection Plan : Canyonlands National Park

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