Bonanza Spring in the Clipper Mountains (California U.S.A.) is the largest spring in the Eastern Mojave Desert. There has been concern that the spring and its dependent ecosystem might be hydrogeologically linked with a wellfield 22 km downgradient. This year-long study compared key spring and wellfield water quality parameters, with both monthly and round-the-clock diurnal sampling. Major ions, trace elements, stable isotopes and field parameters (temperature, discharge, alkalinity) were assessed. Significant differences in water quality between the spring and wellfield were found to exist, suggesting a lack of hydrogeologic connection between the two locations and supporting the idea that the spring’s source is infiltrating precipitation from higher elevations in the Clipper Mountains.
Link to Hydrogeology Journal article: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-025-02951-x
1 – Sampling the source of Bonanza Spring 2 – Sampling wells
3 – Sampling the source of Bonanza Spring 4 – Bonanza Spring
Prof. David Kreamer (IAH Past President)
