STABLE ISOTOPE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE IMPACTS OF ARTIFICIAL GROUND WATER RECHARGE1

ABSTRACT: Stable isotopes of deuterium and oxygen-18 of surface and ground water, together with anion concentrations and hydraulic gradients, were used to interpret mixing and flow in ground water impacted by artificial recharge. The surface water fraction (SWF), the percentage of surface water in the aquifer impacted via recharge, was estimated at different locations and depths using measured deuterium/hydrogen (DIH) ratios during the 1992, 1993, and 1994 recharge seasons. Recharged surface water completely displaced the ground water beneath the recharge basins from the regional water table at 7.60 m to 12.16 m below the land surface. Mixing occurred beneath the recharge structures in the lower portions of the aquifer (>12.16 m). Approximately 12 m down-gradient from the recharge basin, the deeper zone (19.15 m depth) of the primary aquifer was displaced completely by recharged surface water within 193, 45, and 55 days in 1992, 1993, and 1994, respectively. At the end of the third recharge season, recharged surface water represented ～50 percent of the water in the deeper zone of the primary aquifer ～1000 m downgradient from the recharge basin. A classic asymmetrical distribution of recharged surface water resulted from the recharge induced horizontal and vertical hydraulic gradients. The distribution and breakthrough times of recharged surface water obtained with stable isotopes concurred with those of major anions and bromide in a tracer test conducted during the 1995 recharge season. This stable isotope procedure effectively quantified mixing between surface and ground water.     

GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SHALLOW GROUND WATER IN THE EUTAW AQUIFER,MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA1

ABSTRACT: Ground water samples were collected from 30 wells located in, or directly down gradient from, recharge areas of the Eutaw aquifer in Montgomery, Alabama. The major ion content of the water evolves from calcium‐sodium‐chloride‐dominated type in the recharge area to calcium‐bicarbonate‐dominated type in the confined portion of the aquifer. Ground water in the recharge area was under saturated with respect to aluminosilicate and carbonate minerals. Ground water in the confined portion of the aquifer was at equilibrium levels for calcite and potassium feldspar. Dissolved oxygen and nitrite‐plus‐nitrate concentrations decreased as ground water age increased; pH, iron, and sulfate concentrations increased as ground water age increased. Aluminum, copper, and zinc concentrations decreased as ground water age and pH increased. These relations indicate that nitrate, aluminum, copper, and zinc are removed from solution as water moves from recharge areas to the confined areas of the Eutaw aquifer. The natural evolution of ground water quality, which typically increases the pH and decreases the dissolved oxygen content, may be an important limiting factor to the migration of nitrogen based compounds and metals.     

GROUND WATER AS A SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS AND ATRAZINE TO STREAMS IN THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: Concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate, ammonia, orthophosphate, and atrazine were measured in streams and ground water beneath the streams at 23 sites in the South Platte River basin of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming to assess: (1) the role of ground water as a source of nutrients and atrazine to streams in the basin, and (2) the effect of land-use setting on this process. Concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate, ammonia, orthophosphate, and atrazine were higher in ground water than in the overlying streams at 2, 12, 12, and 3 of 19 sites, respectively, where there was not a measurable hydraulic gradient directed from the stream to the ground water. Orthophosphate was the only constituent that had a significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) concentration in ground water than in surface water for a given land-use setting (range land). Redox conditions in ground water were more important than land-use setting in influencing whether ground water was a source of elevated nitrite plus nitrate concentrations to streams in the basin. The ratios of nitrite plus nitrate in ground water/surface were were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) at sites having concentrations of dissolved oxygen in ground water ≤ 0.5 mg/L than at sites having dissolved oxygen concentrations ≥ 0.5 mg/L. Elevated concentrations of ammonia or atrazine in ground water occurred at sites in close proximity to likely sources of ammonia or atrazine, regardless of land-use setting. These results indicate that land-use setting is not the only factor that influences whether ground water is a source of elevated nutrient and atrazine concentrations to streams in the South Platte River Basin.     

CHARACTERIZING GROUND WATER FLOW IN THE MUNICIPAL WELL FIELDS OF CEDAR RAPIDS,IOWA, WITH SELECTED ENVIRONMENTAL TRACERS1

ABSTRACT: Cedar Rapids obtains its municipal water supply from a shallow alluvial aquifer along the Cedar River in east-central Iowa. Water samples were collected and analyzed for selected isotopes and chlorofluorocarbons to characterize the ground-water flow system near the municipal well fields. Analyses of deuterium and oxygen-18 indicate that water in the alluvial aquifer and in the underlying carbonate bedrock aquifer was recharged from precipitation during modern climatic conditions. Analyses of tritium indicate modern, post-1952, water in the alluvial aquifer and older, pre-1952, water in the bedrock aquifer. Mixing of the modern and older waters occurs in areas where (1) the confining layer between the two aquifers is discontinuous, (2) the bedrock aquifer is fractured, or (3) pumping of supply wells induces the flow of water between aquifers. Analyses of chlorofluorocarbons were used to determine the date of recharge of water samples. Water in the bedrock aquifer likely was recharged prior to the 1950s. Water in the alluvial aquifer likely was recharged from the 1960s to 1990s. Biodegradation or sorption probably affected some of the ground water analyzed for chlorofluorocarbons. These processes reduce the concentrations of CFCs, which results in older than actual calculated dates of recharge.     

REGIONAL SCALE MODELING OF SURFACE AND GROUND WATER INTERACTION IN THE SNAKE RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: Changes in irrigation and land use may impact discharge of the Snake River Plain aquifer, which is a major contributor to flow of the Snake River in southern Idaho. The Snake River Basin planning and management model (SRBM) has been expanded to include the spatial distribution and temporal attenuation that occurs as aquifer stresses propagate through the aquifer to the river. The SRBM is a network flow model in which aquifer characteristics have been introduced through a matrix of response functions. The response functions were determined by independently simulating the effect of a unit stress in each cell of a finite difference groundwater flow model on six reaches of the Snake River. Cells were aggregated into 20 aquifer zones and average response functions for each river reach were included in the SRBM. This approach links many of the capabilities of surface and ground water flow models. Evaluation of an artificial recharge scenario approximately reproduced estimates made by direct simulation in a ground water flow model. The example demonstrated that the method can produce reasonable results but interpretation of the results can be biased if the simulation period is not of adequate duration.     

GROUND WATER USE IN AN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AREA: THE TONGUE RIVER BASIN,SOUTHEASTERN MONTANA1

ABSTRACT: Ground water, of relatively good quality, occurs though-out southeastern Montana's Tongue River basin and can be procured cheaply and easily. The widespread occurrence of springs and the de velopment of shallow aquifers enables settlement to occur away from perennial streams and allows for extensive grazing of the range. Ground water m the Tongue River basin occurs in five aquifers ranging from shallow alluvium to the extremely deep Madison Group. Coal beds of the Fort Union Formation contain significant quantities of good quality ground water. Extensive strip mining of these coal beds lowers the water level of nearby wells and causes springs to dry up. There are over 1,700 permits for ground water appropriation in the Tongue River Valley. Development of ground water has been especially important to ranchers in that it enabled most of the basin to be used for grazing. Ground water also provides an important source of water for domestic use. Ground water quality varies considerably in the basin depending upon locality and aquifer. Generally, ground water is characterized by high sodium, sulfate, and bicarbonate levels. Strip mining significantly alters ground water quality, primarily by leachates entering from the mine spoil.     

TRANSIENT RESPONSE FUNCTIONS FOR CONJUNCTIVE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN,IDAHO1

ABSTRACT: Increasing demands on western water are causing a mounting need for the conjunctive management of surface water and ground water resources. Under western water law, the senior water rights holder has priority over the junior water rights holder in times of water shortage. Water managers have been reluctant to conjunctively manage surface water and ground water resources because of the difficulty of quantification of the impacts to surface water resources from ground water stresses. Impacts from ground water use can take years to propagate through an aquifer system. Prediction of the degree of impact to surface water resources over time and the spatial distribution of impacts is very difficult. Response functions mathematically describe the relationship between a unit ground water stress applied at a specific location and stream depletion or aquifer water level change elsewhere in the system. Response functions can be used to help quantify the spatial and temporal impacts to surface water resources caused by ground water pumping. This paper describes the theory of response functions and presents an application of transient response functions in the Snake River Plain, Idaho. Transient response functions can be used to facilitate the conjunctive management of surface and ground water not only in the eastern Snake River Plain basin, but also in similar basins throughout the western United States.     

OPTIMAL GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT IN TWO-AQUIFER SYSTEMS1

ABSTRACT; This paper presents a numerical model for the prediction of optimal ground water withdrawal from a two-aquifer system by observing a set of constraints determined by the ecological conditions of the ground water basin. The aquifer system consists of an upper unconfined and a lower confined aquifer with a leaky stratum between them. It is assumed that water is withdrawn from the confined aquifer only, but the unconfined aquifer will also be affected due to the leakiness of the layer separating the upper and lower aquifers. Simulation and linear programming are employed for developing a computer model for the optimal management of such systems, with the objectives of determining withdrawal rates for predetermined ground water levels.     

A DIGITAL MODEL APPLIED TO GROUND WATER RECHARGE AND MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: Under Colorado's appropriative water right system, withdrawals by junior ground water rights must be curtailed to protect senior surface water appropriators sharing the same river system unless the ground water users replace the amount of their injury to the river under an approved plan for augmentation. Compensation of such injury with surface water may not only be expensive but unreliable in dry years. As an alternative, the curtailment of pumping may be obviated by recharging unused surface water into the aquifer when available and withdrawing it when needed. In order to manage such an operation, a practical tool is required to accurately determine that portion of the recharge water that does not return to the river before pumping for irrigation. A digital model was used for this purpose in a demonstration recharge project located in the South Platte River basin in northeastern Colorado. This paper summarizes the experiences gained from this project, the results of the digital model, the economic value of recharge, and the feasibility of the operation. It was determined through the use of the digital model that, with the given conditions in the area, 77 percent of the recharged water remained available for pumping. Economic analyses showed that water could be recharged inexpensively averaging about two dollars per acre foot.     

EFFECT OF SEMI‐PERCHED GROUND WATER ON MONITORING OF GROUND WATER LEVELS IN A DEVELOPED AQUIFER1

ABSTRACT: Interpretation of ground water level changes in a developed aquifer usually relies on reference to some benchmark such as “predevelopment” ground water levels, changes from fall to fall and/or spring to spring, or to determination of maximum stress during the pumping season. The assumption is that ground water levels measured in the monitoring well accurately reflect the state of the ground water resource in terms of quantity in storage and the effects of local pumping. This assumption is questionable based on the patterns shown in continuous hydrographs of water levels in monitoring wells in Nebraska, and wells installed to determine vertical gradients. These hydrographs show clear evidence for vertical ground water gradients and recharge from overlying parts of the aquifer system to deeper zones in which production wells are screened. The classical concept of semi‐perched ground water, as described by Meinzer, is demonstrated by these hydrographs. The presence of semi‐perched ground water (Meinzer definition, there is no intervening unsaturated zone) invalidates the use of measured ground water levels in regional observation programs for detailed numerical management of the resource. Failure to recognize the Meinzer effect has led to faulty management. The best use of data from the observation well network would be for detection of trends and education unless it is clearly understood what is being measured.     

GROUND WATER SIMULATION USING A ONE DIMENSIONAL FLOW MODEL1

ABSTRACT: In projects involving ground water problems, dependence on the mathematical modeling of the ground water flow phenomena is inescapable. At present, two dimensional flow models, which require tremendous amounts of computer time and storage, are generally used. When such bulky models are used for planning purposes, the two requirements (computer time and storage) can severely limit the number of alternatives that can be considered. A simple quantity and quality simulation model is developed here which requires considerably less computer time and storage and gives reasonably accurate results. The model was applied to simulate a ground water basin in San Luis Rey River in Southern California. The results were compared with those obtained by a USGS model. It was found that the simple model gave results which were consistentaly within five percent of the USGS model results, while the requirements on computer time and storage were drastically reduced.     

Ground water stratification and delivery of nitrate to an incised stream under varying flow conditions

Ground water processes affecting seasonal variations of surface water nitrate concentrations were investigated in an incised first-order stream in an agricultural watershed with a riparian forest in the coastal plain of Maryland. Aquifer characteristics including sediment stratigraphy, geochemistry, and hydraulic properties were examined in combination with chemical and isotopic analyses of ground water, macropore discharge, and stream water. The ground water flow system exhibits vertical stratification of hydraulic properties and redox conditions, with sub-horizontal boundaries that extend beneath the field and adjacent riparian forest. Below the minimum water table position, ground water age gradients indicate low recharge rates (2-5 cm yr(-1)) and long residence times (years to decades), whereas the transient ground water wedge between the maximum and minimum water table positions has a relatively short residence time (months to years), partly because of an upward increase in hydraulic conductivity. Oxygen reduction and denitrification in recharging ground waters are coupled with pyrite oxidation near the minimum water table elevation in a mottled weathering zone in Tertiary marine glauconitic sediments. The incised stream had high nitrate concentrations during high flow conditions when much of the ground water was transmitted rapidly across the riparian zone in a shallow oxic aquifer wedge with abundant outflow macropores, and low nitrate concentrations during low flow conditions when the oxic wedge was smaller and stream discharge was dominated by upwelling from the deeper denitrified parts of the aquifer. Results from this and similar studies illustrate the importance of near-stream geomorphology and subsurface geology as controls of riparian zone function and delivery of nitrate to streams in agricultural watersheds.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF GROUND WATER FLOW FROM SPRING DISCHARGE IN A CRYSTALLINE ROCK ENVIRONMENT1

ABSTRACT: Recent investigations describing the hydrogeology of the Blue Ridge Province of Virginia suggest the occurrence of multiple aquifers and flow paths that may be responsible for the variable flow behavior of springs and seeps appearing throughout the region. Deep, confined aquifers associated with ubiquitous faults and shallow, variably confined saprolite aquifers may contribute water to spring outlets resulting in significantly different quantities of discharge and water quality. Multiple analyses are required to adequately identify the flow paths to springs. In this investigation, hydrograph analyses, surface electrical resistivity surveys, aquifer tests, and nitrate concentrations are used in conjunction with previously reported analyses from borehole logs and age dating of ground water to identify two distinct flow paths. Results indicate that base flow occurs from a deep fault zone aquifer and such discharge can be maintained even during prolonged periods of drought, while increased discharge identified on hydrograph peaks suggests the occurrence of rapid flow through the saprolite aquifer within a radius of about 25 meters of the spring orifice. Springflow hydrograph analysis is suitable for rapid characterization of flow paths leading to spring outlets. Rapid characterization is important for evaluation of potential water quality problems arising from contamination of shallow and deep aquifers and for evaluation of water resource susceptibility to drought. The techniques evaluated here are suitable for use in other locations in fractured crystalline rock environments.     

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON GROUND WATER IN LANSING,MICHIGAN1

ABSTRACT: Computer simulations involving general circulation models, a hydrologic modeling system, and a ground water flow model indicate potential impacts of selected climate change projections on ground water levels in the Lansing, Michigan, area. General circulation models developed by the Canadian Climate Centre and the Hadley Centre generated meteorology estimates for 1961 through 1990 (as a reference condition) and for the 20 years centered on 2030 (as a changed climate condition). Using these meteorology estimates, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory's hydrologic modeling system produced corresponding period streamflow simulations. Ground water recharge was estimated from the streamflow simulations and from variables derived from the general circulation models. The U.S. Geological Survey developed a numerical ground water flow model of the Saginaw and glacial aquifers in the Tri‐County region surrounding Lansing, Michigan. Model simulations, using the ground water recharge estimates, indicate changes in ground water levels. Within the Lansing area, simulated ground water levels in the Saginaw aquifer declined under the Canadian predictions and increased under the Hadley.     

CORRELATION OF SELECTED WELL WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS WITH SOIL AND AQUIFER HYDROLOGIC PROPERTIES1

ABSTRACT: The geographical distribution of well water specific electrical conductivity and nitrate levels in a 932 km² ground water quality study area in the Fresno-Clovis, California, indicated that frequently areas of lower ground water salinity were also areas of relatively greater soil and aquifer permeability. From these observations and certain assumptions we hypothesized that the quality of the well water should be better in areas with permeable soils and geological formations. Correlation and multiple linear regression analysis supported this hypothesis for well water salinity. However, well water nitrate levels were significantly negatively correlated with only the estimated equivalent specific yield of the aquifer system. The multiple R² values of the most significant multiple linear regression models showed that only a fourth to a third of the variability in well water specific electric conductivity and nitrate levels could be ascribed to the effects of the hydrogeological parameters considered with more than 90 percent confidence. This indicates that three-fourths to two-thirds of the variability in ground water salinity and nitrate levels may be related to land use. Thus, there is considerable room for land use management techniques to improve ground water quality and reduce its variability.     

SIMULATING THREE-DIMENSIONAL GROUND WATER RESPONSE IN A SMALL MOUNTAINOUS WATERSHED1

ABSTRACT: Snowmelt from deep mountainous snowpacks is seldom rapid enough to exceed infiltration rates; thus, the source of streamflow in many mountainous watersheds is snowmelt recharge through shallow ground water systems. The hydrologic response and interaction between surface and sub-surface flow processes in these watersheds, which is controlled by basin structure, the spatial distribution of snowmelt, and the hydrogeology of the subsurface, are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to test a three-dimensional ground water model using simulated snowmelt input to simulate ground water response to spatially distributed snowmelt on the Upper Sheep Creek Watershed located within the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in Southwestern Idaho. The model was used to characterize the mountainous aquifer and to delineate the subsurface flow mechanisms. Difficulty in finding a reasonable combination of grid spacing and time stepping within the model was encountered due to convergence problems with the Picard solution to the non-linear variably saturated ground water flow equations. Simulation results indicated that flow may be either unconfined or confined depending on inflow rate and hydrogeologic conditions in the watershed. The flow mechanism had a much faster response time when confined flow occurred. Response to snowmelt from a snow drift approximately 90 m away took only a few hours when flow was confined. Simulated results showed good agreement with piezometer measurements both in magnitude and timing; however, convergence problems with the Picard solution limited applicability of the model.     

DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR MANAGING GROUND WATER RESOURCES IN THE CHOUSHUI RIVER ALLUVIAL IN TAIWAN1

ABSTRACT: Ground water is a vital water resource in the Choushui River alluvial fan in Taiwan. A significantly increased demand for water, resulting from rapid economic development, has led to large scale ground water extraction. Overdraft of ground water has considerably lowered the ground water level, and caused seawater intrusion, land subsidence, and other environmental damage. Sound ground water management thus is essential. This study presents a decision support system (DSS) for managing ground water resources in the Choushui River alluvial fan. This DSS integrates geographic information, ground water simulation, and expert systems. The geographic information system effectively analyzes and displays the spatially varied data and interfaces with the ground water simulation system to compute the dynamic behavior of ground water flow and solute transport in the aquifer. Meanwhile, a ground water model, MODFLOW‐96, is used to determine the permissible yield in the Choushui River alluvial fan. Additionally, an expert system of DSS employs the determined aquifer permissible yield to assist local government agencies in issuing water rights permits and managing ground water resources in the Choushui River alluvial fan.     

DROUGHT EFFECTS ON WATER QUALITY IN THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN,COLORADO1

ABSTRACT: Twenty‐three stream sites representing a range of forested, agricultural, and urban land uses were sampled in the South Platte River Basin of Colorado from July through September 2002 to characterize water quality during drought conditions. With a few exceptions, dissolved ammonia, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, and dissolved orthophosphate concentrations were similar to seasonal historical levels in all land use areas during the drought. At some agricultural sites, decreased dilution of irrigation return flow may have contributed to higher concentrations of some nutrient species, increased primary productivity, and higher dissolved oxygen concentrations. At some urban sites, decreased dilution of base flow and wastewater treatment plant effluent may have contributed to higher dissolved nitrite‐plus‐nitrate concentrations, increased primary productivity, and higher dissolved oxygen concentrations. Total pesticide concentrations in urban and agricultural areas were not consistently higher or lower during the drought. At most forested sites, decreased dilution of ground water‐derived calcium bicarbonate type base flow likely led to elevated pH and specific‐conductance values. Water temperatures at many of the forested sites also were higher, contributing to lower dissolved oxygen concentrations during the drought.     

ESTIMATING WATER BUDGET IN A REGIONAL AQUIFER USING HSPF‐MODFLOW INTEGRATED MODEL1

ABSTRACT: Integrated water resources management is important, especially in watersheds where substantial interactions exist between the ground and surface water sources. This management warrants the need for reliable estimates of both an overall basin water budget and hydrologic fluctuations between ground water and surface water sources. The objectives of this study were to estimate the total water budget and to simulate the effects of the management of water in the Big Lost River Basin in Idaho. The study used the FIPR Hydrological Model (FHM), a hydrological model developed by the University of South Florida for the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR). The FHM is an integrated model that simulates the full water budget of the surface and ground water systems. It has two public domain components: Hydrological Simulation Program ‐ FORTRAN (HSPF) and Modular Three‐Dimensional Finite‐Difference Ground Water Flow Model (MODFLOW). This study quantified the hydrologic fluxes between ground water and surface water and determined a comprehensive and accurate water budget for the Big Lost River. The study showed an annual amount of 10.44 m3/sec leaves the basin and never to return to the system. The study is useful in developing and calculating the annual water budget in the Big Lost River, and this process should be applicable to estimating water budgets in other basins.     

EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE ON GROUND WATER QUALITY AND AQUIFER STORAGE RECOVERY1

ABSTRACT: Ground water nitrate contamination and water level decline are common concern in Nebraska. Effects of artificial recharge on ground water quality and aquifer storage recovery (ASR) were studied with spreading basins constructed in the highly agricultural region of the Central Platte, Nebraska. A total of 1.10 million m³ of Platte River water recharged the aquifer through 5000 m² of the recharge basins during 1992, 1993, and 1994. This is equivalent to the quantity needed to completely displace the ground water beneath 34 ha of the local primary aquifer with 13 m thickness and 0.25 porosity. Successful NO₃-N remediation was documented beneath and downgradient of the recharge basins, where NO₃-N declined from 20 to 2 mg L^-1. Ground water atrazine concentrations at the site decreased from 2 to 0.2 mg L^-1 due to recharge. Both NO₃-N and atrazine contamination dramatically improved from concentrations exceeding the maximum contaminant levels to those of drinking water quality. The water table at the site rose rapidly in response to recharge during the early stage then leveled off as infiltration rates declined. At the end of the 1992 recharge season, the water table 12 m downgradient from the basins was elevated 1.36 m above the preproject level; however, at the end of the 1993 recharge season, any increase in the water table from artificial recharge was masked by extremely slow infiltration rates and heavy recharge from precipitation from the wettest growing season in over 100 years. The water table rose 1.37 m during the 1994 recharge season. Resultant ground water quality and ASR improvement from the artificial recharge were measured at 1000 m downgradient and 600 m upgradient from the recharge basins. Constant infiltration rates were not sustained in any of the three years, and rates always decreased with time presumably because of clogging. Scraping the basin floor increased infiltration rates. Using a pulsed recharge to create dry and wet cycles and maintaining low standing water heads in the basins appeared to reduce microbial growth, and therefore enhanced infiltration.