Laserfiche WebLink
estimated total inflows (surface and ground water) using results of a detailed water budget for the San <br />Juan Mountains. The results by Emery were used by HRS Consultants, and Emery's approach was <br />adopted by Schroeder but for a different study period. Huntley relied on an average of available <br />streamflow records without adjustment for a study period. <br />San Juan Ground water: Huntley and Hearne estimated ground water inflows from the San Juan <br />Mountains as the residual of water budgets conducted on the San Juan basin. HRS estimated ground <br />water inflows as a result of their ground water modeling study. Schroeder estimated San Juan ground <br />water inflow using Darcy's Law. Ground water inflows were not estimated by Emery. The range is 0 <br />kaf/yr (Emery) to about 890 kaf/yr (Hearne) <br />Sangre de Cristo Surface Water: Surface water inflows from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains were <br />estimated based on relationships developed using available gaged stream flow records by all <br />investigators. Emery relied upon local stream gages in Rio Grande basin of Colorado to develop an <br />altitude-runoff relationship, which HRS and Schroeder also adopted. Huntley relied upon one long- <br />term stream gage record in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to extend intermittent stream flow records <br />of 10 other basins. Hearne estimated inflows using a regression model based upon basin area and <br />winter precipitation. Fifteen out of 16 stream gages used to develop the relationship by Hearne, <br />however, were in New Mexico. <br />Sangre de Cristo Ground Water: Huntley conducted a water budget on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains <br />to estimate ground water inflows. Emery, Hearne and Schroeder estimated that gaged flows <br />represented the total yield of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, given the geology of the Sangre de <br />Cristo mountains and location of stream gages above the San Luis Valley alluvium. HRS Consultants <br />estimated the ground water inflow as part of its ground water modeling efforts. HRS's estimate is also <br />equal to the difference of Hearne's estimated total inflow (which Hearne estimates is all surface water) <br />and Emery's estimated surface water inflows. The different approaches to estimating inflow from the <br />Sangre de Cristo Mountains lead to varying estimates of total inflows. This can best be ascertained by <br />comparing inflow estimates to the Closed Basin; Emery (158 kaf/yr), Huntley (254 kaf/yr), and Hearne <br />(187 kaf/yr). Based on the average of Emery and Schroeder, total inflow to San Luis Valley is on the <br />order of 315 kaf/yr. <br />Outflows -Outflows to the water budgets consists of up to four components; beneficial consumptive use, <br />non-beneficial consumptive use, surface outflow and ground water outflow. <br />Beneficial Consumptive Use: -Beneficial consumptive uses include crop consumptive use, municipal <br />use, commercial use, and industrial use. Municipal, commercial and industrial uses were ignored in all <br />water budgets except Schroeder's, which considered 4,000 of/yr of consumption. Emery (1973) only <br />reports amounts of consumptive use (beneficial and non-beneficial) and does not discuss the basis for <br />the estimates. <br />Crop consumptive use was estimated by Huntley, HRS, Hearne and Dewey, and Schroeder by relying <br />upon estimates of irrigated lands, crop types, and the Blaney-Griddle method (original, and modified <br />with calibrated crop coefficients) to estimate potential crop consumptive use. In Schroeder's analysis <br />actual consumptive use is calculated by comparing water supplies to potential consumptive use. <br />However, it is not clear in the other studies if water supplies were compared to potential consumptive <br />use for an estimated actual consumption, or if the potential consumptive use was used as actual <br />consumption. <br />Non-beneficial Consumptive Use: Non-beneficial consumptive use includes evapotranspiration (Et) of <br />non-irrigated lands and sublimation of winter precipitation. Non-beneficial consumptive use was <br />rg_task8-1_2001-08.doc 14 of 19 Apri16, 2001 <br />