Infiltration tests at the Sant Vicenç dels Horts artificial recharge experimental site

Infiltration capacity is the key parameter in an artificial recharge operation site. Infiltration capacity is spatially variable, and during operation it is also temporally variable due to surface clogging processes. Double-ring infiltrometer tests were performed at an experimental site close to Barcelona city (Spain). The site is located on alluvial deposits from the Llobregat River and comprises two half hectare ponds. River water collected upstream traveled through a two km pipe before entering the settling pond. Once the pond is filled water flows to the infiltration pond. Tests were performed only in the latter, prior to and after recharging the ponds. Prior to recharge, six points were selected to estimate infiltration capacity Points were evenly distributed and chosen considering apparent soil texture at the site (coarse, medium and fine grains). All tests were performed allowing water to infiltrate for two hours and data was interpreted using the modified Kostiakov equation. Ponds were then flooded for about two months. The average infiltration rate values for the full infiltration pond before and after the flooding campaign were 5.8 m/day and 2.2 m/day, respectively. The double ring tests were then repeated at the same points, showing a reduction of the infiltration rate that varied between 7 and 90%. Control points with the initial highest infiltration rates presented the highest reduction in infiltration. Physical clogging due to particles settling appears to be the most likely cause of the diminished infiltration rates. This result is confirmed by other independent measurements during the flooding test. There is a clear tendency towards a lower infiltration rates when observing the relation through time of flow entering per volume of water on the infiltration pond at a given time

A quick and inexpensive method to quantify spatially variable infiltration capacity for artificial recharge ponds using photographic images

The efficiency of artificial surface ponds (SPs) for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is mostly controlled by the topmost portion of the soil. The most significant soil property controlling recharge is the infiltration capacity (I c), which is highly variable in space. Assessing its spatial distribution in detail is prohibitive in practice due to high costs, time effort, and limited site accessibility. We present an alternative method for a quick and low-cost quantitative estimation of the spatial distribution of I c based on satellite images. The fact that hydraulic properties of topsoils and color intensities of digital images depend on some common factors such as moisture content, nature and organization of grains, proportion of iron, and organic and clay content among others, allow us to infer infiltration capacities from color intensities. The relationship between these two variables is site specific and requires calibration. A pilot SP site in Catalonia (Spain) is used as an application example. Two high-resolution digital images of the site are provided at no cost by the local cartographic institute as well as from a popular Internet-based map server. An initial set of local infiltration experiments, randomly located, were found to correlate to color intensities of the digital images. This relationship was then validated against additional independent measurements. The resulting maps of infiltration were then used to estimate the total maximum infiltration of the artificial pond area, the results being consistent with an independent flooding test performed at the site

Combining physical-based models and satellite images for the spatio-temporal assessment of soil infiltration capacity

The performance of managed artificial recharge (MAR) facilities by means of surface ponds (SP) is controlled by the temporal evolution of the global infiltration capacity I c of topsoils. Cost-effective maintenance operations that aim to maintain controlled infiltration values during the activity of the SP require the full knowledge of the spatio-temporal variability of I c. This task is deemed uncertain. The natural reduction in time of I c depends on complex physical, biological and chemical reactions that clog the soil pores and has been observed to decay exponentially to an asymptotic non-zero value. Moreover, the relative influence of single clogging processes depend on some initial parameters of the soil, such as the initial infiltration capacity (I c,0). This property is also uncertain, as aquifers are typically heterogeneous and scarcely characterized in practical situations. We suggest a method to obtain maps of I c using a geostatistical approach, which is suitable to be extended to engineering risk assessment concerning management of SP facilities. We propose to combine geostatistical inference and a temporally-lumped physical model to reproduce non-uniform clogging in topsoils of a SP, using field campaigns of local and large scale tests and additionally by means of satellite images as secondary information. We then postulate a power-law relationship between the parameter of the exponential law, \u3bb, and I c,0. It is found that calibrating the two parameters of the power law model it is possible to fit the temporal evolution of total infiltration rate at the pond scale in a MAR test facility. The results can be used to design appropriate measures to selectively limit clogging during operation, extending the life of the infiltration pond

Probabilistic analysis of maintenance and operation of artificial recharge ponds

Aquifer artificial recharge from surface infiltration ponds is often conducted to replenish depleted aquifers in arid and semi-arid zones. Physical and bio-geochemical clogging decreases the host soil's infiltration capacity, which has to be restored with periodic maintenance activities. We develop a probabilistic modeling framework that quantifies the risk of a pond's infiltration capacity falling below its target value due to soil heterogeneity and clogging. This framework can act as a tool to aid managers in optimally selecting and designing maintenance strategies. Our model enables one to account for a variety of maintenance strategies that target different clogging mechanisms. The framework is applied to an existing pond in Barcelona, Spain as well as to several synthetic infiltration ponds with varying statistical distributions of initial infiltration capacity. We find that physical clogging mechanisms induce the greatest uncertainty and that maintenance targeted at these can yield optimal results. However, considering the fundamental role of the spatial variability in the initial properties, we conclude that an adequate initial characterization of the surface infiltration ponds is crucial to determining the degree of uncertainty of different maintenance solutions and thus to making cost-effective and reliable decisions

Assessing and forecasting the impacts of global change on Mediterranean rivers. The SCARCE Consolider project on Iberian basins

The Consolider-Ingenio 2010 project SCARCE, with the full title "Assessing and predicting effects on water quantity and quality in Iberian Rivers caused by global change" aims to examine and predict the relevance of global change on water availability, water quality, and ecosystem services in Mediterranean river basins of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as their socio-economic impacts. Starting in December 2009, it brought together a multidisciplinary team of 11 partner Spanish institutions, as well as the active involvement of water authorities, river basin managers, and other relevant agents as stakeholders. The study areas are the Llobregat, Ebro, Jucar, and Guadalquivir river basins. These basins have been included in previous studies and projects, the majority of whom considered some of the aspects included in SCARCE but individually. Historical data will be used as a starting point of the project but also to obtain longer time series. The main added value of SCARCE project is the inclusion of scientific disciplines ranging from hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, chemistry, and ecotoxicology, to engineering, modeling, and economy, in an unprecedented effort in the Mediterranean area. The project performs data mining, field, and lab research as well as modeling and upscaling of the findings to apply them to the entire river basin. Scales ranging from the laboratory to river basins are addressed with the potential to help improve river basin management. The project emphasizes, thus, linking basic research and management practices in a single framework. In fact, one of the main objectives of SCARCE is to act as a bridge between the scientific and the management and to transform research results on management keys and tools for improving the River Basin Management Plans. Here, we outline the general structure of the project and the activities conducted within the ten Work Packages of SCARCE.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the project Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065. Special thanks are due to all partners of the SCARCE consortium and the peer review panel for ensuring quality results and fruitful collaboration within the project.Francés, F. (2012). Assessing and forecasting the impacts of global change on Mediterranean rivers. The SCARCE Consolider project on Iberian basins. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 19:918-933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0566-5S91893319Andreu J, Capilla J, Sanchís E (1996) AQUATOOL, a generalized decision-support system for water-resources planning and operational management. J Hydrol 177:269–291Barahona-Palomo M, Riva M, Sánchez-Vila X, Vázquez-Sune E, Guadagnini A (2011) Quantitative comparison of impeller-flowmeter and particle-size-distribution techniques for the characterization of hydraulic conductivity variability. Hydrogeology Journal 19:603–612Barceló D, Petrovic M (eds) (2011) The Ebro River basin. the handbook of environmental chemistry. Springer, BerlinBarceló D, Sabater S (2010) Water quality and assessment under scarcity: prospects and challenges in Mediterranean watersheds. J Hydrol 383:1–4Barrios M, Orozco J, López F, Francés F (2010). Influencia de momentos de segundo orden en el escalamiento espacial de parámetros hidrológicos. In: XXIV Congreso Latinoamericano de Hidráulica, Punta del Este, UruguayBoix D, García-Berthou E, Gascón S, Benejam L, Tornés E, Sala J, Benito J, Munné A, Solà C, Sabater S (2010) Response of community structure to sustained drought in Mediterranean rivers. J Hydrol 383:135–146Bolster D, Barahona M, Dentz M, Fernàndez-Garcia D, Sánchez-Vila X, Trinchero P, Valhondo C, Tartakovsky DM (2009) Probabilistic risk analysis of groundwater remediation strategies. Water Resour Res 45: W06413Brack W, Bakker J, de Deckere E, Deerenberg C, van Gils J, Hein M, Jurajda P, Kooijman B, Lamoree M, Lek S, López de Alda MJ, Marcomini A, Muñoz I, Rattei S, Segner H, Thomas K, von der Ohe PC, Westrich B, de Zwart D, Schmitt-Jansen M (2005) MODELKEY - Models for assessing and forecasting the impact of environmental key pollutants on freshwater and marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 12:252–256Calbó J (2010) Water scarcity in the Mediterranean. In: Sabater S, Barceló D (eds) The handbook of environmental chemistry. Springer, BerlinCarmona-Catot G, Benito J, García-Berthou E (2011) Comparing latitudinal and upstream–downstream gradients: life history traits of invasive mosquitofish. Divers Distrib 17:214–224CHE (2008) Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro. Available from: http://www.chebro.es . Accessed January 2009de Barros FPJ, Bolster D, Sanchez-Vila X, Nowak W (2011) A divide and conquer approach to cope with uncertainty, human health risk and decision making in contaminant hydrology. Water Resour Res (in press)Dodds WK, Bouska WW, Eitzmann JL, Pilger TJ, Pitts KL, Riley AJ, Schloesser JT, Thornbrugh DJ (2009) Eutrophication of US freshwaters: analysis of potential economic damages. Environ Sci Technol 43:12–19Elosegi A, Díez J, Mutz M (2010) Effects of hydromorphological integrity on biodiversity and functioning of river ecosystems. Hydrobiologia 657:199–215Estrela T, Fidalgo A, Fullana J, Maestu J, Pérez MA, Pujante AM (2004) Júcar Pilot River Basin. Provisional article 5. Report pursuant to the Water Framework Directive. Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar, Valencia (Spain). p 208Fernàndez-Garcia D, Sánchez-Vila X (2011) Optimal reconstruction of concentrations, gradients and reaction rates from particle distributions. J Contam Hydrol 120–121:99–114Fernàndez-Garcia D, Sánchez-Vila X, Illangasekare TH (2002) Convergent-flow tracer tests in heterogeneous media: combined experimental-numerical analysis for determination of equivalent transport parameters. J Contam Hydrol 57:129–145Francés F, Vélez JI, Vélez JJ (2007) Split-parameter structure for the automatic calibration of distributed hydrological models. J Hydrol 332:226–240Funtowicz S, Ravetz J (1994) The worth of a songbird: ecological economics as a post-normal science. Ecol Econ 10:197–207García-Galán M, Garrido T, Fraile J, Ginebreda A, Díaz-Cruz M, Barceló D (2010a) Application of fully automated online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of sulfonamides and their acetylated metabolites in groundwater. Anal Bioanal Chem 399:795–806García-Galán MJ, Díaz-Cruz MS, Barceló D (2010b) Occurrence of sulfonamide residues along the Ebro river basin: removal in wastewater treatment plants and environmental impact assessment. Environ Int 37:462–473Gasith A, Resh VH (1999) Streams in Mediterranean climate regions: abiotic influences and biotic responses to predictable seasonal events. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 30:51–81Gaudes A, Artigas J, Muñoz I (2010) Species traits and resilience of meiofauna to floods and drought in a Mediterranean stream. Mar Freshw Res 61:1336–1347Ginebreda A, Muñoz I, López de Alda MJ, Brix R, López-Doval J, Barceló D (2010) Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in rivers: relationships between hazard indexes and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity indexes in the Llobregat River (NE Spain). Environ Int 36:153–162Giorgi F, Lionello P (2008) Climate change projections for the Mediterranean region. Glob Planet Chang 63:90–104Greskowiak J, Prommer H, Massmann G, Johnston CD, Nutzmann G, Pekdeger A (2005) The impact of variably saturated conditions on hydrogeochemical changes during artificial recharge of groundwater. Appl Geochem 20:1409–1426Guasch H, Leira M, Montuelle B, Geiszinger A, Roulier JL, Tornés E, Serra A (2009) Use of multivariate analyses to investigate the contribution of metal pollution to diatom species composition: search for the most appropriate cases and explanatory variables. Hydrobiologia 627:143–158Guerra P, Eljarrat E, Barceló D (2010) Simultaneous determination of hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobisphenol A, and related compounds in sewage sludge and sediment samples from Ebro River basin (Spain). Anal Bioanal Chem 397:2817–2824IPCC (2007) Fourth assessment report: climate change 2007. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeIzagirre O, Agirre U, Bermejo M, Pozo J, Elosegi A (2008) Environmental controls of whole-stream metabolism identified from continuous monitoring of Basque streams. J N Am Benthol Soc 27:252–268Jelic A, Gros M, Ginebreda A, Céspedes-Sánchez R, Ventura F, Petrovic M, Barceló D (2011) Occurrence, partition and removal of pharmaceuticals in sewage water and sludge during wastewater treatment. Water Res 45:1165–1176Kay JJ, Regier HA, Boyle M, Francis G (1999) An ecosystem approach for sustainability: addressing the chanllenge of complexity. Futures 31:721–742Köck-Schulmeyer M, Ginebreda A, Postigo C, López-Serna R, Pérez S, Brix R, Llorca M, López de Alda MJ, Petrovic M, Munné A, Tirapu L, Barceló D (2011) Wastewater reuse in Mediterranean semi-arid areas: the impact of discharges of tertiary treated sewage on the load of polar micro pollutants in the Llobregat river (NE Spain). Chemosphere 82:670–678Kuster M, De la Cal A, Eljarrat E, López de Alda MJ, Barceló D (2010a) Evaluation of two aquatic passive sampling configurations for their suitability in the analysis of estrogens in water. Talanta 83:493–499Kuster M, Díaz-Cruz S, Rosell M, López de Alda MJ, Barceló D (2010b) Fate of selected pesticides, estrogens, progestogens and volatile organic compounds during artificial aquifer recharge using surface waters. Chemosphere 79:880–886Lacorte S, Raldúa D, Martínez E, Navarro A, Díez S, Bayona JM, Barceló D (2006) Pilot survey of a broad range of priority pollutants in sediment and fish from the Ebro river basin (NE Spain). Environ Pollut 140:471–482Lindenmayer DB, Likens GE (2009) Adaptive monitoring: a new paradigm for long-term research and monitoring. Trends Ecol Evol 24:482–486López-Serna R, Pérez S, Ginebreda A, Petrovic M, Barceló D (2010) Fully automated determination of 74 pharmaceuticals in environmental and waste waters by online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 83:410–424Llorca M, Farré M, Picó Y, Barceló D (2010) Study of the performance of three LC-MS/MS platforms for analysis of perfluorinated compounds. Anal Bioanal Chem 398:1145–1159Marcé R, Rodríguez MA, García JC, Armengol J (2010) El Nino Southern oscillation and climate trends impact reservoir water quality. Glob Chang Biol 16:2857–2865Martín G, Toja J, Sala SE, Fernández MD, Reyes I, Casco MA (2010) Application of diatom biotic indices in the Guadalquivir River Basin, a Mediterranean basin. Which one is the most appropriated? Environ Monit Assess 170:519–534Mas-Martí E, García-Berthou E, Sabater S, Tomanova S, Muñoz I (2010) Comparing fish assemblages and trophic ecology of permanent and intermittent reaches in a Mediterranean stream. Hydrobiologia 657:167–180Medici C, Bernal S, Butturini A, Sabater F, Martín M, Wade AJ, Francés F (2010) Modelling the inorganic nitrogen behaviour in a small Mediterranean forested catchment, Fuirosos (Catalonia). Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 14:223–237Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Island Press, Washington (US), p 137Muñoz I, López-Doval JC, Ricart M, Villagrasa M, Brix R, Geiszinger A, Ginebreda A, Guasch H, López de Alda MJ, Romaní AM, Sabater S, Barceló D (2009) Bridging levels of pharmaceuticals in river water with biological community structure in the Llobregat River Basin (Northeast Spain). Environ Toxicol Chem 28:2706–2714Nadal M, Kumar V, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL (2008) Applicability of a neuroprobabilistic integral risk index for the environmental management of polluted areas: a case study. Risk Anal 28:271–286Navarro-Ortega A, Tauler R, Lacorte S, Barceló D (2010) Occurrence and transport of PAHs, pesticides and alkylphenols in sediment samples along the Ebro River Basin. J Hydrol 383:5–17Navarro A, Lacorte S, Barceló D (2010) Occurrence and transport of pesticides and alkylphenols in water samples along the Ebro River Basin. J Hydrol 383:18–29Navarro A, Tauler R, Lacorte S, Barceló D (2006) Chemometrical investigation of the presence and distribution of organochlorine and polyaromatic compounds in sediments of the Ebro River Basin. Anal Bioanal Chem 385:1020–1030Nelson E, Mendoza G, Regetz J, Polasky S, Tallis H, Cameron DR, Chan KMA, Daily GC, Goldstein J, Kareiva PM, Lonsdorf E, Naidoo R, Ricketts TH, Shaw MR (2009) Modeling multiple ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, commodity production, and tradeoffs at landscape scales. Front Ecol Environ 7:4–11Nilsson C, Reidy CA, Dynesius M, Revenga C (2005) Fragmentation and flow regulation of the world's large river systems. Science 308:405–408Odum HT (1956) Primary production in flowing waters. Limnol Oceanogr 1:102–117Paredes-Arquiola J, Andreu-Álvarez J, Martín-Monerris M, Solera A (2010) Water quantity and quality models applied to the Jucar River Basin, Spain. Water Res Manag 24:2759–2779Paredes J, Andreu J, Solera A (2010) A decision support system for water quality issues in the Manzanares River (Madrid, Spain). Sci Total Environ 408:2576–2589Petrovic M, Farré M, López de Alda MJ, Perez S, Postigo C, Kock M, Radjenovic J, Gros M, Barceló D (2010) Recent trends in the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of organic contaminants in environmental samples. J Chromatogr A 1217:4004–4017Puy-Azurmendi E, Navarro A, Olivares A, Fernandes D, Martínez E, López de Alda MJ, Porte C, Cajaraville MP, Barceló D, Piña B (2010) Origin and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in sediment and fish from the biosphere reserve of Urdaibai (Bay of Biscay, Basque country, Spain). Mar Environ Res 70:142–149Quevedo DI, Francés F (2008) A conceptual dynamic vegetation-soil model for arid and semiarid zones. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 12:1175–1187Ramos-Fernández L, Francés F (2010). Utilidad de la precipitación obtenida por satélite en la modelación hidrológica aplicada a la cuenca del río. In: XXIV Congreso Latinoamericano de Hidráulica, Punta del Este, UruguayRamos-Jiliberto R, Valdovinos FS, Arias J, Alcaraz C, García-Berthou E (2011) A network-based approach to the analysis of ontogenetic diet shifts: an example with an endangered, small-sized fish. Ecol Complex 8:123–129Ricart M, Guasch H, Alberch M, Barceló D, Bonnineau C, Geiszinger A, Farré M, Ferrer J, Ricciardi F, Romaní AM, Morin S, Proia L, Sala L, Sureda D, Sabater S (2010a) Triclosan persistence through wastewater treatment plants and its potential toxic effects on river biofilms. Aquat Toxicol 100:346–353Ricart M, Guasch H, Barceló D, Brix R, Conceicao MH, Geiszinger A, López de Alda MJ, Lopez-Doval JC, Munoz I, Postigo C, Romani AM, Villagrasa M, Sabater S (2010b) Primary and complex stressors in polluted mediterranean rivers: pesticide effects on biological communities. J Hydrol 383:52–61Sabater S, Tockner K (2010) Effects of hydrologic alterations on the ecological quality of river ecosystems. In: Sabater S, Barceló D (eds) Water scarcity in the Mediterranean. Springer, BerlinSánchez-Vila X, Carrera J (1997) Directional effects on convergent flow tracer tests. Math Geol 29:551–569Sánchez-Vila X, Fernàndez-Garcia D, Guadagnini A (2010) Interpretation of column experiments of transport of solutes undergoing an irreversible bimolecular reaction using a continuum approximation. Water Resour Res 46:W12510Sand-Jensen K, Pedersen NL (2005) Differences in temperature, organic carbon and oxygen consumption among lowland streams. Freshw Biol 50:1927–1937Schroter D, Cramer W, Leemans R, Prentice IC, Araujo MB, Arnell NW, Bondeau A, Bugmann H, Carter TR, Gracia CA, de la Vega-Leinert AC, Erhard M, Ewert F, Glendining M, House JI, Kankaanpaa S, Klein RJT, Lavorel S, Lindner M, Metzger MJ, Meyer J, Mitchell TD, Reginster I, Rounsevell M, Sabate S, Sitch S, Smith B, Smith J, Smith P, Sykes MT, Thonicke K, Thuiller W, Tuck G, Zaehle S, Zierl B (2005) Ecosystem service supply and vulnerability to global change in Europe. Science 310:1333–1337Singer MB, Dunne T (2001) Identifying eroding and depositional reaches of valley by analysis of suspended sediment transport in the Sacramento River, California. Water Resour Res 37:3371–3381Stevenson RJ, Sabater S (2010) Understanding effects of global change on river ecosystems: science to support policy in a changing world. Hydrobiologia 657:3–18Tharme RE (2003) A global perspective on environmental flow assessment: emerging trends in the development and application of environmental flow methodologies for rivers. River Res Appl 19:397–441Tornés E, Sabater S (2010) Variable discharge alters habitat suitability for benthic algae and cyanobacteria in a forested Mediterranean stream. Mar Freshw Res 61:441–450Trinchero P, Sánchez-Vila X, Fernàndez-Garcia D (2008) Point-to-point connectivity, an abstract concept or a key issue for risk assessment studies? Adv Water Res 31:1742–1753Vázquez-Roig P, Andreu V, Blasco C, Picó Y, Andreu V (2010) SPE and LC-MS/MS determination of 14 illicit drugs in surface waters from the Natural Park of L'Albufera (ValSncia, Spain). Anal Bioanal Chem 397:2851–2864Vericat D, Batalla RJ (2006) Sediment transport in a large impounded river: the lower Ebro, NE Iberian Peninsula. Geomorphology 79:72–92Walker B, Carpenter S, Anderies J, Abel N, Cumming G, Janssen M, Lebel L, Norberg J, Peterson GD, Pritchard R (2002) Resilience management in social-ecological systems: a working hypothesis for a participatory approach. Conserv Ecol 6:14Weyhenmeyer GA (2004) Synchrony in relationships between the North Atlantic Oscillation and water chemistry among Sweden’s largest lakes. Limnol Oceanogr 49:1191–1201Ylla I, Sanpera-Calbet I, Vázquez E, Romaní AM, Muñoz I, Butturini A, Sabater S (2010) Organic matter availability during pre- and post-drought periods in a Mediterranean stream. Hydrobiologia 657:217–23