Laserfiche WebLink
<br />(n~3'l" <br />e>o I .:31' b <br /> <br />190 <br /> <br />Esse1&tials for Optimum Use 0/ GtOU1/d <br /> <br />LeI' Resuurces <br /> <br />other difficulties which must be overcome by drainage or pumping, And a <br />few places have ideal conditions for maintaining the water table ,t the <br />level deemed most suitable for agricultural needs, by me,ns of altemately <br />irrigating from canals and pumping from wells, <br />,^,'hen olle g-ets into the swing of effIciellt reservoir operation. ground- <br />wateT tC'ier\'oirs ;"tfC reg-arded less and Ic~s as natural accumulations of water <br />and more and Illl)re as :lggrcgatcs of pore space which provide opportunity to <br />store as well ;15 to withdraw wilter. Now we begin to accentu<lte the positive, <br />:\no no lon/{cr arc subject to the limitatioll imposed by natural recharge. be- <br />cause we can incn.'3'iC the illOow to the reservoir. Artificial rC(haT~e is proved <br />feasible by a host of projects, I. some lItili7.ing Hood flows, somp: waste waters, <br />;md some operated in conjullction with Rood-control reservoirs.18 Operated <br />in conjunction with surface reservoirs. grollnd-water reservoirs can provide <br />the holdover storaR"c for the surplusl'.o.; of wet periods, to be withdrawn during <br />drough t. <br />It is anticipated that 11lanagcmellt for optimum use will involve increa.singly <br />the importation of water from areas uf .':lurplus to areas of deficiency. Ground- <br />water reservoirs may be sl1itable for the tcnllinal storage of SHch imported <br />supplies, with minimum lo~s by c\'aporatioll. Undoubtedly the users of <br />g'Tollncl-Waler reservoirs where the ;lcCllmulatt:d reserve is being depleted <br />would be eag-er to import wateT, if the)' (ould only find all ulltapped source <br />and justify the cost of iruporl~tion. <br />As. poinred out by R. O. Thomas,lll <br /> <br />Because planned utilization of lhe a\ailable underground storage ca- <br />pacity is inherent in a progr;lIn of IIJa"iIlIlIlTl cOll...el"v;1tion nut! use. it i:; <br />cvident that the retention of llluch of that pllrt ()f the water supply which <br />is presently walited in outflow to the ocean <lnd in excessive evaporation by <br />phreatophytes will require the lowering of the w;][er [able during pcrious <br />of less-than-average supply to a much greater extent thall would otherwise <br />occur in orner to provide rhe storagc rapacity necessary for the m<Jximum <br />retention in the ellsuluR above-normnl period. In slI(.h a program, the <br />ground-water reservoir would be us.cd for cyclic storilge and would be oper. <br />ated in conjuncrion with surface T('ser\'oirs to provide a linn supply for <br />both rhe overlying- lands within th~ natural service area of the basin and <br />Cor the exportinK of surplus waters 10 areas of deficiency. Such 311 operarion <br />will undoubtedly require maximum ;1rtillcial replenishment of ground w<lter <br />and the coordinate operation of surface reservoirs so 3S to make such re- <br />charge feasible. Thi:'i will lcrluire over-ail adminisnalive contra) by an <br />agency empowered to exercise jurisdiction hetween. llS well as within, the <br />geog-raphical limits of the individual hasins. 'With reference to water a\'aj)- <br />able (or export, for example, it is actually 1I1limpOflallt whether the water <br />js used 10 replenish .1 ]OC;]J oa:'iin and is later recovCl"cJ and delivered to an <br />area of deficiency or whether it is rnst exported to sllch an area nnd there <br />stored underground for later use. The net rC:'iulc. or the net COSt of rhe end <br />product, should be approximately (he s;-rme in both cases. Any plall for <br />operation of underground sLOf;lge which is approached from the purely <br />local ~'iel\'poilH will provide only H:mporary relief from periodic shortages <br />and will eventually result in the waste of orherwise recoverahle water to <br />the detriment of areas in short supply. <br /> <br />The ultimate in scientific management alld control of the water resources <br />will perJwps mt:lrk rhe completion of the struggle of mall with nature, and <br /> <br />17D. K. Todd, ArHlOtated BibliograJlh)' on Artificial Rechnrge of Gr()1/nd IVater <br />Through 1951, U, S, Gro!. Survey Water,SlIpply Paper 1477. <br />18paul Baumann, "Basin Recharge," Am. Soc. Cillil Eng. Trans., v. 122, p. 458- <br />501. <br />19R. O. Thoma.'!, "Planned Utilizarion," Am. Sue. Civil Eng. Traru., v. 122, p. 422- <br />442, <br />