EVALUATING WATER LEVEL AND GENERAL WATER QUALITY DATA OF THREE WETLAND AREAS IN THE ALBION BASIN AND LITTLE COTTONWOOD CREEK, ALTA, UTAH

Albion Basin in Alta, Utah serves as the headwaters to Little Cottonwood Creek which is a major source of drinking water for the residents of Salt Lake City. Groundwater chemistry and water level data from three wetlands areas in the basin have been collected for the past five summers (2006-2010) and are being analyzed.

Water levels were collected from nine piezometers installed in the three wetlands areas (Albion Basin, Catherine’s Pass, and Collins/Sugarloaf) using pressure transducer dataloggers. The water level response characteristics at Catherine’s Pass suggest that it is a groundwater dominated wetland. The Collins/Sugarloaf wetland exhibits greater variability in water levels suggesting that precipitation has a greater influence on water levels in this area than in Catherine’s Pass. Water level data from Albion Basin in 2007 and 2008 suggests a precipitation dominated wetland. The pressure transducer measurements collected from 2009 did not produce useable data but initial 2010 data looks to be similar to the 2007/2008 data.

Samples for laboratory analysis of general water quality were collected from the piezometers and springs at the three wetland areas and from Little Cottonwood Creek. Standard piper diagrams show that the water samples represent calcium, magnesium carbonate fresh water that is likely derived from limestone and dolomite rocks in the area. The water quality results at Albion Basin Fen suggest precipitation dominated wetland while the Catherine’s Pass results suggest a groundwater dominated wetland. The water quality results at Collins/Sugarloaf indicate the source of water is a mixture of precipitation and groundwater.