Metro - South Metro Regional Aquifer Supply Assessment_Water Activity Summary

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Ft~hding Overview Grant fiinding in the amount of $100,540 is being requested from the Metro Basin Account. Funding from the WSRA constitutes 100% of the actual project cost; however, the SMWSA is providing in-kind engineering contributions to the project. Engineers from the SMWSA will be responsible for raw data collection and for techlucal review of the deliverables. Discussion: The Metro Basin Roundtable has determined that resolving the South Metro "gap" is an important priority. SWSI estimated that by 2030 there will be approximately 40,000 acre-feet/year (AFY) of umnet water demands. This 40,000 AFY gap was based on the assumption that existing levels of groundwater pumping could continue indefinitely. However, SWSI also recogiuzed that this was an optimistic assumption. As a result one of the key findings from SWSI is that continued reliance on nonrenewable, non-tributary groundwater supplies brings serious concerns over the reliability and sustainability of this source of supply along the Front Range area. The south Metro area relies onnon-tributary groundwater supplies located beneath their boundaries. The dramatic increase in groundwater withdrawals over the past two decades have led to water level declines of 20 to 30 feet per year over large portions of the south Metro area. ki 2007 the SMWSA completed the South Metro Regional Water Master Plan. This report identified build out water demands, renewable water supply goals and potential sources of renewable supplies. In addition, this study also developed proposed regional infrastn~cture that will allow delivery of new renewable sources as well as routing of potential local supplies such as water developed through a regional aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project. The SMWSA members also understand the need to implement strategies to preserve the bedrock aquifers and in September 2007 began discussions on more coordinated management. Current plans include formal arrangements to share equipment, persoiuiel and infrastructure in times of supply emergency, and developing a conunon resource pool for contracting drilling services. The SMWSA is also aware that the bedrock aquifers vary significantly in their yield and impacts within the south Metro area. The member organizations would like to understand these local effects in greater detail so they can develop plans to use the groundwater supplies in ways that reduce impacts throughout the region. The SMWSA is also investigating how to expand its artificial recharge of the bedrock aquifers. One of its member organizations has had implemented a successful aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) program for over a decade and others would also like to implement ASR projects. They understand that a coordinated ASR program is as important as coordinated aquifer pumping. Given this background, it is important and timely to more accurately evaluate the likely impacts of continued reliance on the non-renewable groundwater supplies in the south Metro area, and to explore more coordinated regional management of this resource. This project will help the SMWSA understand the local effects of groundwater use in greater detail so they can develop plans to use the groundwater supplies in ways that reduce impacts throughout the region. It will also help the SMWSA expand its artificial recharge of the bedrock aquifers. The objectives of the study are to: 1. Develop a better understanding of the aquifer characteristics relevant to well production, artificial recharge and conjunctive use within the south Metro area through the collection of additional data from SMWSA providers. 2. Undertake a detailed assessment of aquifer drawdown due to pumping in the south Metro area by evaluating information from previous studies and updating with additional information collected from SMWSA providers. 2