Modeling Riparian Restoration Impacts on the Hydrologic Cycle at the Babacomari Ranch, SE Arizona, USA

This paper describes coupling field experiments with surface and groundwater modeling to investigate rangelands of SE Arizona, USA using erosion-control structures to augment shallow and deep aquifer recharge. We collected field data to describe the physical and hydrological properties before and after gabions (caged riprap) were installed in an ephemeral channel. The modular finite-difference flow model is applied to simulate the amount of increase needed to raise groundwater levels. We used the average increase in infiltration measured in the field and projected on site, assuming all infiltration becomes recharge, to estimate how many gabions would be needed to increase recharge in the larger watershed. A watershed model was then applied and calibrated with discharge and 3D terrain measurements, to simulate flow volumes. Findings were coupled to extrapolate simulations and quantify long-term impacts of riparian restoration. Projected scenarios demonstrate how erosion-control structures could impact all components of the annual water budget. Results support the potential of watershed-wide gabion installation to increase total aquifer recharge, with models portraying increased subsurface connectivity and accentuated lateral flow contributions.Walton Family Foundation; Land Change Science (LCS) Program, under the Land Resources Mission Area of the US Geological Survey (USGS); NSF [DBI-0735191, DBI-1265383]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Response functions in the critical comparison of conjunctive management systems in two western states

Comparing the relative performances of different conjunctive management systems requires the characterization of those systems in like terms. Once characterized, the systems can then be simulated with computer models and their performances evaluated. Response functions provide an efficient means of incorporating hydrogeologic characteristics of a river-aquifer system in a computer program that simulates the behavior of a system under a given management system. Even though response functions are defined only for linear systems, this paper demonstrates their use in certain nonlinear systems, such as when the water table drops below the extinction depth for evapotranspiration. Examples of the criteria that may be used to evaluate the conjunctive management systems described in this paper include drawdown and river leakance induced by pumping (capture) as well as the ability of the system to meet surface water demands and system exit requirements.hydrology collectio

Recharge characteristics of an effluent dominated stream near Tucson, Arizona

Almost 90% of the treated sewage effluent processed by the two treatment plants serving the greater Tucson area is available for passive recharge through the Santa Cruz River streambed north of Tucson. In the absence of any major disturbance of the effluent channel, the recharge capacity of the streambed materials decreases over time as microbial activity, and possibly suspended sediments settling out of solution, act to clog the surficial sediments under the effluent stream. Effluent stream transmission-loss measurements made over the period from November 1994 to August 1995 provided data used to determine the average vertical hydraulic conductivity of the low-flow channel in the study reach through simulations using the computer model known as KINEROS2. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (KSAT) served as the calibration parameter in the model. The appropriate KSAT value was chosen for each set of field data by matching the observed and simulated downstream hydrographs for the study reach. KSAT values were corrected for viscosity changes resulting from changing average daily surface water temperatures over the study period. Saturated hydraulic conductivity values for the effluent stream channel ranged from a maximum of 37 mm/hr in January, 1995, following several major winter storms, to a minimum of 11 mm/hr in August, 1995, after a nearly six-month interstorm period. The saturated hydraulic conductivity values decay exponentially with time after the last major winter storm. The mathematical model describing this decay may be used to estimate effluent recharge rates under similar future meteorological and climatological conditions.hydrology collectio

Application of Hydrologic Tools and Monitoring to Support Managed Aquifer Recharge Decision Making in the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

The San Pedro River originates in Sonora, Mexico, and flows north through Arizona, USA, to its confluence with the Gila River. The 92-km Upper San Pedro River is characterized by interrupted perennial flow, and serves as a vital wildlife corridor through this semiarid to arid region. Over the past century, groundwater pumping in this bi-national basin has depleted baseflows in the river. In 2007, the United States Geological Survey published the most recent groundwater model of the basin. This model served as the basis for predictive simulations, including maps of stream flow capture due to pumping and of stream flow restoration due to managed aquifer recharge. Simulation results show that ramping up near-stream recharge, as needed, to compensate for downward pumping-related stress on the water table, could sustain baseflows in the Upper San Pedro River at or above 2003 levels until the year 2100 with less than 4.7 million cubic meters per year (MCM/yr). Wet-dry mapping of the river over a period of 15 years developed a body of empirical evidence which, when combined with the simulation tools, provided powerful technical support to decision makers struggling to manage aquifer recharge to support baseflows in the river while also accommodating the economic needs of the basin

MODRSP: a program to calculate drawdown, velocity, storage and capture response functions for multi-aquifer systems

MODRSP is program used for calculating drawdown, velocity, storage losses and capture response functions for multi - aquifer ground -water flow systems. Capture is defined as the sum of the increase in aquifer recharge and decrease in aquifer discharge as a result of an applied stress from pumping [Bredehoeft et al., 19821. The capture phenomena treated by MODRSP are stream- aquifer leakance, reduction of evapotranspiration losses, leakance from adjacent aquifers, flows to and from prescribed head boundaries and increases or decreases in natural recharge or discharge from head dependent boundaries. The response functions are independent of the magnitude of the stresses and are dependent on the type of partial differential equation, the boundary and initial conditions and the parameters thereof, and the spatial and temporal location of stresses. The aquifers modeled may have irregular -shaped areal boundaries and non -homogeneous transmissive and storage qualities. For regional aquifers, the stresses are generally pumpages from wells. The utility of response functions arises from their capacity to be embedded in management models. The management models consist of a mathematical expression of a criterion to measure preference, and sets of constraints which act to limit the preferred actions. The response functions are incorporated into constraints that couple the hydrologic system with the management system (Maddock, 1972). MODRSP is a modification of MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1984,1988). MODRSP uses many of the data input structures of MODFLOW, but there are major differences between the two programs. The differences are discussed in Chapters 4 and 5. An abbreviated theoretical development is presented in Chapter 2, a more complete theoretical development may be found in Maddock and Lacher (1991). The finite difference technique discussion presented in Chapter 3 is a synopsis of that covered more completely in McDonald and Harbaugh (1988). Subprogram organization is presented in Chapter 4 with the data requirements explained in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 contains three example applications of MODRSP.Research and development was supported in part by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, under USGS award number 14-08- 0001- G1742. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U. S. Government.This title from the Hydrology & Water Resources Technical Reports collection is made available by the Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences and the University Libraries, University of Arizona. If you have questions about titles in this collection, please contact [email protected]

MR2K: A program to calculate drawdown, velocity, storage and capture response functions

A program, MR2K, used for calculating drawdown, velocity, storage loss, and capture response functions for multi -aquifer groundwater flow systems was developed. Capture is defined as the sum of the increase in aquifer recharge and decrease in aquifer discharge as a result of an applied stress from groundwater pumping. The capture phenomena treated are stream-aquifer leakance, reduction of evapotranspiration losses, reduction of drain flows, flows to and from prescribed head boundaries, and increases or decreases in natural recharge or discharge from head-dependent boundaries. The response functions are independent of the magnitude of the pumping stresses, and are dependent on the type of partial differential equation, boundary and initial conditions and the parameters thereof, and the spatial and temporal locations of stresses. The aquifers modeled may have irregular- shaped boundaries and nonhomogeneous transmissive and storage qualities. The stresses are groundwater withdrawals from wells. The utility of response functions arises from their capacity to be embedded in management models such as decision support systems. The response functions are incorporated into the objective function or constraints that couple the hydrologic system with the management system. Three response -function examples are presented for a hypothetic basin.Research and development for MR2K was supported in part by the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Sustainabliity of Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA). The original MODRSP software was supported in part by the U.S. Geological Survey under award number 14-08-0001-G1742. The view and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied of the U.S. Government.This title from the Hydrology & Water Resources Technical Reports collection is made available by the Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences and the University Libraries, University of Arizona. If you have questions about titles in this collection, please contact [email protected]

RESPONSE FUNCTIONS IN THE CRITICAL COMPARISON OF CONJUNCTIVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN TWO WESTERN STATES

Conjunctive management of surface and ground -water resources on state and local levels is a relatively new political phenomenon. This type of management has evolved, in part, in response to growing populations with ever -increasing, and often conflicting, water demands. In addition, a more sophisticated technical understanding of the physical link between groundwater and surface waters has led water managers to reconsider historical strategies for solving water supply problems. In light of growing demand and improved technology, some western states have begun the transition from crisis- oriented water management to one of long -term planning for population growth and environmental protection. This planning process requires that the constituents of a region define their water use goals and objectives so that various approaches to conjunctive management may be evaluated for their suitability to that particular physical and socio- political environment.Research and development was supported in part by the U. S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, under USGS award number 14 -08- 0001- G1742. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U. S. Government.This title from the Hydrology & Water Resources Technical Reports collection is made available by the Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences and the University Libraries, University of Arizona. If you have questions about titles in this collection, please contact [email protected]

Development of a Shared Vision for Groundwater Management to Protect and Sustain Baseflows of the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

Groundwater pumping along portions of the binational San Pedro River has depleted aquifer storage that supports baseflow in the San Pedro River. A consortium of 23 agencies, business interests, and non-governmental organizations pooled their collective resources to develop the scientific understanding and technical tools required to optimize the management of this complex, interconnected groundwater-surface water system. A paradigm shift occurred as stakeholders first collaboratively developed, and then later applied, several key hydrologic simulation and monitoring tools. Water resources planning and management transitioned from a traditional water budget-based approach to a more strategic and spatially-explicit optimization process. After groundwater modeling results suggested that strategic near-stream recharge could reasonably sustain baseflows at or above 2003 levels until the year 2100, even in the presence of continued groundwater development, a group of collaborators worked for four years to acquire 2250 hectares of land in key locations along 34 kilometers of the river specifically for this purpose. These actions reflect an evolved common vision that considers the multiple water demands of both humans and the riparian ecosystem associated with the San Pedro River