Feasibility of Groundwater Banking under Various Hydrologic Conditions in California, USA

Saad Merayyan,Samsor Safi

doi:10.4236/cweee.2014.33009

Abstract

This study evaluates the feasibility of groundwater banking in the Central Basin. The Central Basin is located in Sacramento County in northern California, USA. The study basin is bounded by three rivers (the Sacramento, the American, the Consumes and Mokelumne rivers), and by the Sierra-Nevada mountain range. This study focuses on the potential for groundwater recharge in the Central Basin for three water years (critical, wet, above normal). For that purpose, a 3-D Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) with MODFLOW was created. Three recharge wells were added to the calibrated groundwater model to recharge the water table with 10,000 Acre-Feet (AF) of water to the Central Basin. The banking of 10,000 AF during the critical and wet years was effective in raising the water table elevation in the cone of depression area without causing any negative impact elsewhere in the basin. According to the findings of the Central Basin model, banking up to 10,000 AF of groundwater during any year type is feasible. More than 10,000 AF of groundwater banking might cause more negative impacts than positive benefits.

Highlights

Groundwater, Groundwater Banking, Groundwater Modeling, 3-D Groundwater, Hydrologic Conditions, Sacramento Central, California. This project investigates the feasibility of groundwater banking in the Central Sacramento County Basin (Central Basin)
In order to carry out groundwater banking analysis, the Central Basin data were collected and compiled into a model, which is described as follows
The locations of the banking wells were chosen to be in the center of the cone of depression, where it was found to be the most effective locations for groundwater banking

Summary

Introduction

This project investigates the feasibility of groundwater banking in the Central Sacramento County Basin (Central Basin). Groundwater Basin Number 5-21.65, the South American Sub-basin. There are some differences between the Central basin size and boundaries to that of the DWR Groundwater Basin Number 5-21.65. For the purpose of this study, the area of DWR’s South Sub-Basin American sub-basin was chosen due to its natural boundaries of three perennial rivers. The Central Basin is defined as the area bounded on the west by the Sacramento River, on the north by the American River, on the south by the Consumes and Mokelumne rivers, and on the east by the Sierra-Nevada mountain range. The eastern basin boundary is defined by the uprising foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The DWR publication Bulletin 118-3, 1974, indicated that the groundwater movement in the Central Basin occurs in a shallow aquifer underlying by a deeper aquifer [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion