Cultural Water Demands

• Refer to Table 4.2-8 and Figure 4.2-10.

• Population in this basin has decreased from 5,532 in 1980 to 4,691 in 2000.   

• Groundwater use has decreased in this basin since 1971, with an average of 18,000 acre-feet per year from 1971-1975 and an average of approximately 5,150 acre-feet pumped per year from 2001-2005.

• A small amount of surface water is diverted for municipal use in the Town of Bagdad, 500 acre-feet per year on average from 1991 to 2005.  Some of this water demand may include industrial demand at the Bagdad Mine. 

• Municipal groundwater demand is minimal, 900 acre-feet per year on average from 2001 to 2005.

• Principal municipal demand centers are located in the vicinity of Peeples Valley, Kirkland, Yarnell and Bagdad. 

• Although there is one large mine, the Bagdad Mine, and a number of small mines or quarries in the basin, industrial demand is minimal because the Bagdad Mine receives water from the Big Sandy Basin via pipeline. 

• The largest water demand  sector in this basin is agricultural, located primarily in the eastern portion of the basin around Skull Valley, Kirkland and Peeples Valley.  This demand has declined substantially from approximately 18,000 acre-feet per year on average in 1971 to 4,100 acre-feet per year on average from 2001-2005. 

• As of 2005 there were 1,627 registered wells with a pumping capacity of less than or equal to 35 gallons per minute and 445 wells with a pumping capacity of more than 35 gallons per minute.

Effluent Generation

• Refer to Table 4.2-9.

• There is one treatment facility in this basin, the Bagdad Sewer System, which serves approximately 1,500 people in the Town of Bagdad.  Information on the volume of effluent generation was not available.

• Treated effluent is used for industrial purposes.

Click to view Table 4.2-8 Cultural Water Demand in the Bill Williams Basin