Hydrologic Reconnaissance of Curlew Valley, Utah and Idaho (TP-25)

By: E. L. Bolke and D. Price

The Curlew Valley drainage basin extends across the Utah-Idaho State line and covers about 1,200 square miles. The valley is bounded on the west, north, and east by mountain ranges and is open to the south where it drains into Great Salt Lake. The Utah part of Curlew Valley (Utah subbasin) covers about 550 square miles. It is an arid to semiarid, largely uninhabited area, with community centers at Snowville and Kelton. Average annual precipitation in the Utah subbasin is less than 8 inches on part of the valley floor and reaches a maximum that exceeds 35 inches all one of the highest mountain peaks. The estimated total average volume of precipitation is about 332,000 acre-feet of water a year.

This report is the fifth in a series of reports prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, that describe the water resources of selected basins in western Utah. The purpose of this report is to present available hydrologic data on the Utah part of Curlew Valley, to provide an evaluation of the potential water-resource development of the valley, and to identify needed studies that would help provide an understanding of the valley's water supply.

Other Information:
Published: 1969
Pages: 40 p.
Plates: 2 pl.
Location: Box Elder County
Media Type: Paper Publication