Abstract
Groundwater and surface water are often studied as different systems; however, one commonly affects the other. Bank storage, the temporary storage and release of stream water in adjacent aquifers, can contribute a considerable amount of discharge to a river and can be a component in the transport and fate of a contaminant. Studies document the effects of increasing stage and increasing storm duration; however, these controls are often investigated separately. This project examined which factor, peak stage or storm duration, was more influential on the bank-storage process. The study focused on a small reach of a third-order, meandering, perennial stream. A 3-D, transient-state numerical model (MODFLOW) was created of the study site, and 36 simulations were run at various peak stages and storm durations. Peak stage and storm durations, while both influential, affected different areas of the bank-storage process. Peak stage was statistically more influential in controlling the maximum volume of bank storage (~3.6×) and the volume of the storage that remained in the system at 100 h (~1.1×). Longer storm duration generated a slower return of water, thus increasing the retention of bank storage. Parafluvial exchange was an important factor in bank storage along a meandering stream, suggesting that at least 2-D, ideally 3-D, models need to be employed in evaluating bank storage.
Highlights
IntroductionBasic interactions include streams gain water from the groundwater (gaining streams), streams lose water to the groundwater (losing streams), and streams gain and lose simultaneously along the entire stream [1]
Along any stream, interaction between the stream and the surrounding groundwater occurs.Basic interactions include streams gain water from the groundwater, streams lose water to the groundwater, and streams gain and lose simultaneously along the entire stream [1]
Another type of interaction is parafluvial exchange across a meander bend, which is due to the increase in hydraulic gradient across the bend [2,3,4]
Summary
Basic interactions include streams gain water from the groundwater (gaining streams), streams lose water to the groundwater (losing streams), and streams gain and lose simultaneously along the entire stream [1]. Another type of interaction is parafluvial exchange across a meander bend, which is due to the increase in hydraulic gradient across the bend [2,3,4]. Exchange processes from groundwater and surface water are controlled by the distribution and magnitude of hydraulic conductivities within the channel and surrounding sediments, the relation of stream stage to groundwater level, and the geometry and position of the stream channel within an alluvial flood plain [5,6,7]. Understanding of the basic principles of interactions between groundwater and surface water is needed for effective management of water resources because contamination of one system can commonly affect the other [1,7]
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