Location:   Sierra Valley- near Sattley, Beckwourth and Loyalton                                                                       

Sponsors:  Sierra Valley Groundwater Management District

Project Type: Monitoring

Est. Cost:  $30,000        Amount Funded:  $30,000 of unspent Majority Funds from Monitoring-well installation project reallocated toward this; May 2005

Est. Start Date:  Fall 2005          Est. End Date: Spring 2006

Project Description: 
Three aquifer tests to be conducted as follows: the southwestern part of Sierra Valley near Sattley, east of Beckwourth and north of Loyalton. Where possible, District monitoring wells will be used to conduct aquifer tests.
            The three proposed aquifer tests along with about ten additional aquifer tests performed at different times since 1982 will be used to determine aquifer characteristics. The information will be used to predict future water-level decline in surroundings wells due to pumping of a specific well or wells at a known rate. Where well interference is a significant problem, possible mitigating measures include development of well spacing criteria for new wells.

Project Goals/Objectives:
The project fills data gaps mentioned on page 16 of the Watershed Management Strategy document. Congruency will be achieved in a narrative interpretation of the aquifer characteristics and the identification of water producing zones achieved in the “Sierra Valley Hydrogeologic Studies – 2004”. 

Project Activities:
August – September 2005: Data reviewed; hydrologist checked well locations; hydrologist and geologist met to plan and discuss pump tests; geologist measured normal, drawdown and recovery water levels in wells.
October 2005 – January 2006: review aquifer test results and pump tests; data reviewed; plots prepared of well locations drawdown and recovery data; pump test report prepared and draft revised.
               Expenditures through October 2006: $ 10,723.90