A density-dependent flow and transport analysis of the effects of groundwater development in a freshwater lens of limited areal extent: The Geneva area (Florida, U.S.A.) case study

Abstract

The Geneva freshwater lens is an isolated flow system within the upper Floridan aquifer surrounded and underlain by brackish water. The lens is sustained entirely by recharge from a surficial aquifer and sits atop a regional flow system which discharges around the fringes of the lens along the St. Johns River. Continual development of groundwater supply in the Geneva area has raised the concern of how much additional pumping can be allowed from various sites within the lens without adversely impacting water quality by inducing the invasion or upconing of salty water. A numerical modeling study was conducted to address these water management issues. A density-dependent, finite-element flow and transport code, DSTRAM, was used for cross-sectional and three-dimensional (3-D) analyses of the Geneva lens system. The model incorporates an enhanced upstream weighted technique for the transport equation, improved Picard iterations over the nonlinearities, and robust preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) and ORTHOMIN techniques for solving the matrix equations. A steady-state model calibration was performed for existing conditions at the site. The cross-sectional (2-D) analysis was inadequate in accurately representing the system, since the 3-D effects were considerable. However, 2-D cross-sectional simulations are useful for preliminary assessments of certain scenarios, and for guidance in developing the 3-D model. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis was performed on a number of key parameters. Natural groundwater discharge rates along the St. Johns River seem to be the most critical unknown and require better estimates for increased confidence in the conceptual model. Transient pumping scenarios were imposed on this system to observe the response of the lens and to determine well breakthrough for chlorides, if any. Pumping rates and distribution of pumping were significant factors in determining the quality of the water. Upconing of saline water contributes to high chloride concentrations in water being pumped from the lens center. A localized pumping at the lens center does not affect the lens significantly till a critical value of withdrawal rate is reached, beyond which upconing of saline water is rapid. Lateral invasion is more prominent for pumping from locations near the edge of the lens. Maximum withdrawals of fresh water from the lens can be attained by evenly distributing the pumping throughout the freshwater zone.