OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT OF A REGIONAL AQUIFER IN EASTERN SAUDI ARABIA1

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the formulation and application of a ground-water hydraulic management model to determine the optimal development and operating policies of a regional aquifer in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The hydraulic response of the aquifer system is represented by a simulation model that is linked to an optimization management model using response functions. Yearly optimal ground-water extraction rates over a planning horizon of 15 years are determined for four scenarios, each reflecting alternative ground-water development policies. The results are presented in the form of tradeoff curves, relating drawdowns to optimal pumpage, which may enhance the decisionmaker's ability to select the best development policy from a set of alternatives. The results illustrate how various optimal management schemes can be devised to increase the total withdrawal from the aquifer while preventing excessive de-watering.     

INFILTRATION OF ATRAZINE AND METABOLITES FROM A STREAM TO AN ALLUVIAL AQUIFER1

ABSTRACT: The infiltration of atrazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine from Walnut Creek, a tributary stream, to the alluvial valley aquifer along the South Skunk River in central Iowa occurred where the stream transects the river's flood plain. A preliminary estimate indicated that the infiltration was significant and warrants further investigation. Infiltration was estimated by measuring the loss of stream discharge in Walnut Creek and the concentrations of atrazine and its metabolites deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine, in ground water 1 m beneath the streambed. Infiltration was estimated before application of agrichemicals to the fields during a dry period on April 7, 1994, and after application of agrichemicals during a period of small runoff on June 8, 1994. On April 7, the flux of atrazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine from Walnut Creek into the alluvial valley aquifer ranged from less than 10 to 60 (μg/d)/m², whereas on June 8 an increased flux ranged from 270 to 3060 (μg/d)/m². By way of comparison, the calculated fluxes of atrazine beneath Walnut Creek, for these two dates, were two to five orders of magnitude greater than an estimated flux of atrazine to ground water caused by leaching from a field on a per-unit-area basis. Furthermore, the unit-area flux rates of water from Walnut Creek to the alluvial valley aquifer were about three orders of magnitude greater than estimated recharge to the alluvial aquifer from precipitation. The large flux of chemicals from Walnut Creek to the alluvial valley aquifer was due in part to the conductive streambed and rather fast ground water velocities; average vertical hydraulic conductivity through the streambed was calculated as 35 and 90 m/d for the two sampling dates, and estimated ground water velocities ranged from 1 to 5 m/d.     

DEVELOPMENT OF A WATER SUPPLY PROTECTION MODEL IN A GIS1

ABSTRACT: As part of a larger model to identify lands suitable for acquisition, a water supply protection model was developed using the Southwest Florida Water Management District's GIS. Several hydrologic and hydrogeologic data layers were overlaid to develop maps showing ground-water supply suitability, protection areas for surface-water supply, protection areas for major public supply wells, susceptibility to ground-water contamination, and recharge to the Floridan aquifer. These intermediate layers were combined into a final map to prioritize protection areas for water supply.     

HYDROGEOLOGY AND PATHS OF FLOW IN THE CARBONATE BEDROCK AQUIFER,NORTHWESTERN INDIANA1

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is assessing the ground-water resources of the carbonate bedrock aquifers in Indiana and Ohio as part of their Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis program. Part of this assessment includes the determination of unknown aspects of the hydraulic characteristics, boundaries, and flow paths of the carbonate aquifer. To accomplish this, the USGS drilled three wells through the carbonate aquifer near the Kankakee River in northwestern Indiana. Geophysical logs were used to help determine depths and thicknesses for testing and to help describe geology at the three wells. Packer tests were used to determine direction of ground-water flow and to provide data for an analysis of the distribution of transmissivity in the carbonate aquifer. Transmissivity of the carbonates is associated with two physical characteristics of the rocks: fractures and interconnected porosity. Almost all of the transmissivity is derived from horizontal fracturing; however, only a few of the fractures present in the carbonate are transmissive. Some transmissivity is associated with a zone of fossiliferous, vuggy dolomite, which yields water from the rock matrix. Most of the transmissivity is associated with large fractures and solution crevices in the upper 30 feet of the bedrock; less transmissivity is associated with the deeper vuggy reef material, even where extensively fractured. Transmissivity of individual fractures and fossiliferous zones ranges from 300 to 27,000 feet squared per day. The aquifer bottom is defined by a lack of transmissive fractures and an increased shale content near the contact of the Silurian and Ordovician sections. Water-level data from the three wells indicate that flow is horizontal at well site 1 north of the Kankakee River, upward at well site 2 near the river, and downward at well site 3 south of the river. Most of the flow occurs in the upper part of the carbonate bedrock where fracturing and solution-enlarged crevices are most developed. Water levels indicate the the Kankakee River is a hydrologic boundary for the regional carbonate bedrock aquifer.     

DEEP WELL DISPOSAL OF SECONDARY EFFLUENT IN DADE COUNTY,FLORIDA1

ABSTRACT: Data were obtained from drilling and testing of a test injection well for deep underground injection of waste water effluent from the proposed 50-million-gallon-per-day (mgd) South District Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Authority, Dade County, Florida. The drilling operation progressed in stages, each stage coverting the strata to be sealed off by the 48-inch, 40-inch, 30-inch, and 20-inch casings, respectively. Total depth of the well is 3,200 feet. The top of the saline, cavernous, dolomitic Boulder Zone was found at 2,790 feet below the surface and is separated from the Floridan aquifer above by approximately 1,100 feet of confining limestone layers. These confining layers were determined, by packer testing, to be very effective. The transmissivity of the Boulder Zone was estimated to be 14 × 10⁶ gallons per day per foot (gpd/ft) from the data obtained from pump out tests. An 8,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) injection test was conducted to confirm well performance under operating conditions. Based on all of the data obtained, it was concluded that underground injection into the Boulder Zone of secondary waste water effluent from the proposed treatment plant is feasible, both hydraulically and environmentally. A monitoring system was proposed to provide a record of the effects of injection on the subsurface environment.     

ANALYTICAL REGRESSION STAGE ANALYSIS FOR DEVILS HOLE,DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK,NEVADA1

ABSTRACT: Devils Hole is a collapse depression connected to the regional carbonate aquifer of the Death Valley ground water flow system. Devils Hole pool is home to an endangered pupfish that was threatened when irrigation pumping in nearby Ash Meadows lowered the pool stage in the 1960s. Pumping at Ash Meadows ultimately ceased, and the stage recovered until 1988, when it began to decline, a trend that continued until at least 2004. Regional ground water pumping and changes in recharge are considered the principal potential stresses causing long term stage changes. A regression was found between pumpage and Devils Hole water levels. Though precipitation in distant mountain ranges is the source of recharge to the flow system, the stage of Devils Hole shows small change in stage from 1937 to 1963, a period during which ground water withdrawals were small and the major stress on stage would have been recharge. Multiple regression analyses, made by including the cumulative departure from normal precipitation with pumpage as independent variables, did not improve the regression. Drawdown at Devils Hole was calculated by the Theis Equation for nearby pumping centers to incorporate time delay and drawdown attenuation. The Theis drawdowns were used as surrogates for pumpage in multiple regression analyses. The model coefficient for the regression, R²= 0.982, indicated that changes in Devils Hole were largely due to effects of pumping at Ash Meadows, Amargosa Desert, and Army 1.     

IMPACT OF IRRIGATION WELLS ON BASEFLOW OF THE BIG BLUE RWER,NEBRASKA1

ABSTRACT: The Kansas-Nebraska Big Blue River compact requires that the state of Nebraska insure a minimum flow of the Big Blue River across the state line. There are two options that the state of Nebraska may use to ensure minimum flows. The obvious option is to limit surface-water irrigators along the river. However, under the terms of the compact, a second option may be to regulate irrigation wells that are within one mile of the river and were installed after November 1, 1968. The objective of this study is to quantify the effects of 17 irrigation wells that may be regulated on baseflow of the Big Blue River. A finite-element model is used to study the hydrogeologic system between DeWitt and Beatrice, Nebraska. The 17 wells that may be regulated are located between these towns and are developed in sediments deposited in a cross-cutting paleovalley anchor alluvium associated with the Big Blue River. While there wore considerable existing data, additional data were gathered by drilling an additional nine test holes, conducting several aquifer tests, stream-stage measurements, and baseflow calculation through extensive stream-discharge measurements, establishment of a ground water-level monitoring network, determining the amount of water pumped for irrigation and municipal use in the area, and a short-term precipitation network. The model was calibrated using observed baseflow and ground water level data. The model clearly shows that regulating the 17 wells to maintain baseflow would have a minimal effect on the overall water budget. This is reasonable, especially considering that there are over 250 irrigation wells in the project area. The 17 wells considered pumped only 6 percent of the total pumpage within the modeled area during the irrigation season of 1984. The computer model provides the documentation needed to demonstrate this fact. Although much of the resources spent and a significant amount of hydrogeologic data are being collected over a period of three years on a relatively small area, the simulation model could be improved through further field testing of the aquifer and stream-bed sediment characteristics and quantification of ground water recharge, discharge, and evapotranspiration rates.     

Using a Mass Balance Model to Evaluate Groundwater Budget of Seawater‐Intruded Island Aquifers1

Jang, Cheng‐Shin, Chen‐Wuing Liu, Shih‐Kai Chen, and Wen‐Sheng Lin, 2011. Using a Mass Balance Model to Evaluate Groundwater Budget of Seawater‐Intruded Island Aquifers. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 61‐73. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00593.x Abstract: The study developed a mass balance model to evaluate the groundwater budget of seawater‐intruded island aquifers using limited available data. The Penghu islands were selected as a study area. As sparse observed data were available in the islands, methods of combining water and chloride balances were used to determine the amounts of groundwater pumping, seawater intrusion, aquifer storages, and safe yields in the shallow and deep aquifers. The groundwater budget shows that seawater intrusion to freshwater aquifers was 1.38 × 10⁶ and 0.29 × 10⁶ m³/year in the shallow and deep aquifers, respectively, indicating that the seawater intrusion is severe in the both aquifers. The safe yield of the shallow aquifer was 14.56 × 10⁶ m³/year in 2005 which was four times higher than that of the deep aquifer (3.70 × 10⁶ m³/year). However, the annual pumping amounts in the shallow and deep aquifers were 4.77 × 10⁶ and 3.63 × 10⁶ m³/year, respectively. Although the safe yield of the shallow aquifer is enough for all water resources demands, only 55% of exploitation amount was extracted from the shallow aquifer due to its poor water quality. Groundwater exploitation in the deep aquifer should be significantly reduced and regulated by a dynamic management of pumping scheme because the annual pumping amounts are close to the safe yield and seawater intrusion occurs continually. Additionally, to alleviate further aquifer salination, at least half of the current annual groundwater abstraction should be reduced.     

SIMULATION OF REGIONAL GROUND WATER FLOW IN BEDROCK,SOUTHWESTERN NEW YORK-NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the results of steady-state three-dimensional computer simulations to determine the hydrogeologic setting of formation water in the hydrocarbon producing formations of southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Recharge areas for the regional ground water flow systems in the study area are the Valley Heads Moraine and Allegheny uplands; discharge areas are Lakes Erie and Ontario to the north and the northern margin of the Appalachian basin to the south. Simulated ground water flow in all model layers moves north from the ground water divide on the Valley Heads Moraine towards Lake Erie at a rate from 10^?-⁶ to 10^?-³ ft/day. South of the divide intermediate-scale and local-scale flow systems occur in the upper 4000 feet of the stratigraphic section and the directions of ground water flow diverge towards major rivers and other topographically low areas.     

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.     

RETENTION BASIN FAILURES IN CARBONATE TERRANES1

ABSTRACT Sinkholes and subsidence in areas subject to dewatering of carbonate formations have been documented in several geologic and hydrologic investigations. Excessive ground-water pumpage has been cited as a causative factor in areas of increased sinkhole activity. Subsurface erosion of unconsolidated materials underlain by carbonate rocks is one cause of the collapses. Infiltrating water from retention basins may cause subsurface erosion and eventual failure by collapse of the structure. The resulting ground-water contamination would be great as the pollutants spread throughout the solution-cavity system.     

INVERSE SOLUTION OF HYDRAULIC DIFFUSIVITY DETERMINED BY WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATION1

ABSTRACT: This study uses the spectral analysis to inversely solve for hydraulic diffusivity of a one-dimensional aquifer with boundaries subject to non-steady state water level fluctuation. Given water level spectra obtained from observation wells and tidal gauge stations, hydraulic diffusivity of a confined aquifer in a Quaternary alluvial plain is found to be about 1.8×10⁶m^2/hr which is one order of magnitude higher than the value obtained from a local pump test performed in the same area.     

THE VRANA LAKE HYDROLOGY (ISLAND OF CRES - CROATIA)1

ABSTRACT: The Vrana Lake on the island of Cres in the Adriatic Sea represents a specific phenomenon of karst hydrology. The island of Cres covers an area of 404.3 km² with an average volume of 220 × 10⁶ m³ of fresh water in the lake. The island has an average rainfall of 1,063 mm, with a Mediterranean climate. The lake has a bottom reaching a depth of 62 m below mean sea level. The average water level is 14 m above mean sea level. The most probable theories on the origin of the lake and its hycirologic-hydrogeologic functioning state that it is a flooded poije in karst. The water budget method was used to define the lake catchments area at approximately 25 km². During the last six years, there has been drastic decrease of about 3 m in the lake's water level. This phenomenon was analyzed and it was calculated that 53 percent of the water-level decline was caused by water discharges from the lake to satisfy water supply demands, and 47 percent was due to a period of low precipitation during the analyzed period.     

OPERATING POLICIES FOR A SURFACE/GROUND WATER SYSTEM1

The simulation of the conjunctive use of a surface reservoir and a limestone aquifer is described. The potential yields from each of the sources are of the same order. An important feature of the aquifer is that if the pumpage is reduced, much of the excess water is lost through springs. Five different operating policies are considered which determine whether pumpage should be taken from the reservoir or aquifer. The total safe yields for the historic period 1961–1977 are estimated for each policy and their relative advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The simulation is also carried out for 100 years of generated data to discover the long term consequences.     

HERBICIDE AND NITRATE VARIATION IN ALLUVIUM UNDERLYING A CORN FIELD AT A SITE IN IOWA COUNTY,IOWA1

ABSTRACT: A hydrologic investigation to determine vertical and seasonal variation of atrazine, alachlor, cyanazine, and nitrate at one location and to relate the variation to ground-water movement in the Iowa River alluvium was conducted in Iowa County, Iowa, from March 1986 to December 1987. Water samples were collected at discrete intervals through the alluvial sequence from the soil zone to the base of the aquifer. Alachlor, atrazine, and cyanazine were detected most frequently in the soil zone but also were present in the upper part of the alluvial aquifer. Alachlor was detected sporadically, whereas, atrazine, cyanazine, and nitrate were present throughout the year. In the alluvial aquifer, the herbicides generally were not detected during 1986 and were present in detectable concentrations for only a short period of time in the upper 1.6 meters of the aquifer during 1987. Nitrate was present throughout the alluvium and was stratified in the alluvial aquifer. The largest nitrate concentrations were detected in the middle part of the aquifer. Nitrate concentrations were variable only in the upper 2 meters of the aquifer. Vertical movement of herbicides and nitrate in the soil correlated with precipitation and degree of saturation. A clay layer retarded vertical movement of atrazine but not nitrate from the soil layer to the aquifer. Vertical movement could not account for the chemical variation in the alluvial aquifer.     

VELOCITY CONTROL AS A TOOL FOR OPTIMAL PLUME CONTAINMENT IN THE EQUUS BEDS AQUIFER,KANSAS1

ABSTRACT: A ground-water-management model was developed to investigate the best management options for the containment of an oil-field-brine plume in the Equus Beds aquifer in south-central Kansas. The main purpose of the management model was to find the optimal locations and minimum rates of pumpage of a set of plume-interception wells, to successfully reverse the velocity vectors at observation wells located along the plume front, and also to satisfy freshwater demands from supply wells. The effects of the calculated minimum withdrawals from the interception wells on the migration of contaminants throughout the ground-water system were evaluated utilizing a solute-transport model. This latter analysis was carried out to ensure the containment of the plume. Whereas application of the management model to the study area achieves the management objectives, the implementation of the results is believed to be impractical and expensive. This is because a considerable amount of water must be pumped out to reverse the velocity vectors in the vicinity of the plume. In general, the proposed technique of pollutant containment may be effective when applied to aquifers having low hydraulic gradients and/or to aquifers with hazardous plumes whose containment is not subject to economic constraints.     

WATER YIELD INCREASES THROUGH SURFACE DUSTING OF A PERMANENT ICEFIELD1

ABSTRACT: Water yields from a permanent icefield were increased by 28 percent through surface dusting with carbon black. On July 4, 1972, approximately 15 acres (60,700 m²) of a permanent icefield were treated with 150 lbs. per acre (16.8 g/m²) of commercial carbon black. The icefield was located on the eastern slope of the Colorado Front Range at an elevation of 11,500 feet (3500 m). The carbon black was applied by helicopter using a dry applicator slung below a helicopter. The treatment effect was evaluated by control plot observations of melt and streamflow comparison before and after treatment. The ablation plot studies and runoff comparison with an adjacent watershed both indicated a 28 percent increase in ablation and meltwater runoff, respectively, for the months of July and August. The study indicates icefields could be used as cold-storage reservoirs for use in periods of critical water shortages.     

Estimating Water Budgets and Vertical Leakages for Karst Lakes in North‐Central Florida (United States) Via Hydrological Modeling1

Lin, Zhulu, 2011. Estimating Water Budgets and Vertical Leakages for Karst Lakes in North‐Central Florida (United States) Via Hydrological Modeling. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐16. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2010.00513.x Abstract: Newnans, Lochloosa, and Orange Lakes are closely hydrologically connected karst lakes located in north‐central Florida, United States. The complex karst hydrology in this region poses a great challenge to the hydrological modeling that is essential to the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads for these lakes. We used a Hydrological Simulation Program – Fortran model coupled with the parallel Parameter ESTimation model calibration and uncertainty analysis software to estimate effectively the hydrological interactions between the lakes and the underlying upper Floridan aquifer and the water budgets for these three lakes. The net results of the lake‐groundwater interactions in Newnans and Orange Lakes are that both lakes recharge the underlying upper Floridan aquifer, with the recharge rate of the latter one magnitude greater than that of the former. However, for Lochloosa Lake, the net lake‐groundwater interaction is that the lake gains water from groundwater in a significant amount, approximately 40% of its total terrestrial water input. The annual average vertical leakages estimated for Newnans, Lochloosa, and Orange Lakes are 6.0 × 10⁶, ?8.9 × 10⁶, and 44.4 × 10⁶ m³, respectively. The average vertical hydraulic conductance (K_v/b) of the units between a lake bottom and the underlying upper Floridan aquifer in this region are also estimated to be from 1.26 × 10^?4 to 1.01 × 10^?3 day^?1.     

MODELING STREAMFLOW FROM ARTIFICIALLY DRAINED AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS IN ILLINOIS1

ABSTRACT: Evaluation of the applicability and validity of hydrologic simulation models for various cropping systems in different hydrogeologic and soil conditions is needed for a range of spatial scales. We calibrated and tested the ADAPT model for simulating streamflow from 552 to 1,985 km² watersheds in central Illinois, where more than 79 percent of the land is used for maize‐soybean production and tile drainage is common. Model calibration was performed with a seven year period (1987 through1993) of measured streamflow from one of the watersheds, and model testing was done using independent weather and measured streamflow data from the two neighboring watersheds for the same seven year period. Simulations of annual streamflow were accurate with a coefficient of determination and Willmott's index of agreement of 0.98 and 0.99, respectively. For simulation of monthly streamflow, Willmott's index of agreement ranged from 0.93 to 0.95. For simulation of daily streamflow, Willmott's index of agreement ranged from 0.84 to 0.85. The daily simulations challenged the temporal and spatial resolution of our measured precipitation data. Discrepancies between simulated and measured data may result from the model's inability to effectively address frozen soils and snowmelt runoff processes and in accurately representing evapotranspiration.     

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION FROM A BULRUSH‐DOMINATED WETLAND IN THE KLAMATH BASIN,OREGON1

ABSTRACT: Growing‐season evapotranspiration and surface energy and water balances were investigated for an extensive, bulrush‐dominated wetland in the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge of south‐central Oregon, a semi‐arid region with competing demands for scarce water resources. Turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat were measured by eddy covariance for 1.2 to 1.9 days during each of four site visits during late‐May to mid‐October 1997. Mean daytime latent heat flux and the Bowen ratio ranged from 148 to 178 W m^?2 and from 0.38 to 0.51, respectively, during late May, mid‐July, and late August site visits. By mid‐October, when the plant canopy had senesced, daytime latent heat flux and the Bowen ratio averaged 46 W m^?2 and 2.8, respectively. An hourly Penman‐Monteith (PM) model that was fitted to the surface‐flux data provided values for the surface resistance to water‐vapor diffusion that ranged from 78 s m^?1 during late August to 206 s m^?1 during mid‐October. Similarly, a Priestley‐Taylor (PT) model provided values for the PT multiplier (a) that ranged from 0.96 during late August to 0.37 during mid‐October. The PM and PT models predicted evapotranspiration totals of 560 and 480 mm, respectively, for May 28 to October 12, 1997.