SPDSS_NewsletterIssue3_7-05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SPDSS Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Division of Water Resources Groundwater Data The two most heavily used groundwater systems have gained the spotlight: (1) the shallow alluvial aquifer A Lesson in Cooperation underlying the South Platte River and its tributaries, and In pursuit of creating a comprehensive groundwater (2) the bedrock aquifers underlying the Denver Basin database, the SPDSS team searched existing data for Region that extend from Colorado Springs to Greeley and information on aquifer properties, con? guration, and from the foothills to Limon. Alluvial observation wells changes in groundwater levels over time. The team (red triangles) and bedrock water level monitoring sites successfully compiled reports published by government (orange squares) show the widespread coverage of the agencies such as the Colorado Department of Natural investigation. Resources, United States Geological Survey, universities, and local water conservancy districts. The huge leap in expanding the existing knowledge base came when the SPDSS team obtained more than 140 previously unpublished reports of existing pumping tests in the bedrock aquifers ? a tribute to the cooperation of dozens of water user groups, municipalities and individuals who are assisting in this project. During Phases 1 and 2 of SPDSS, 72 entities from all over the South Platte Basin cooperated in providing data, including Aurora, Castle Rock, Boulder and Sterling just to name a few. These plus other data collected by the SPDSS team more than tripled the amount of information on the properties of the regions aquifers. Phasing Leads to Efficient Field Work The search for existing data shed light on gaps in the existing groundwater information knowledge base that needed to be ? lled. The data gaps were used to develop a Benefits focused ? eld data collection program that began in 2003. Data collected to date, along with future data collection, Field activities have included: will be used to develop a detailed numerical groundwater ? drilling approximately 40 observation wells in the alluvial ? ow model of the alluvial aquifer system. Such a model aquifer and one in a bedrock aquifer, each equipped with can assist in making various water management decisions. water level data recorders ? conducting multi-well aquifer pumping tests at 13 wells in the alluvial aquifer and at 14 wells in the bedrock Details on Website aquifer using existing irrigation or production wells http://cdss.state.co.us/ ? measuring water levels in over 100 bedrock wells The website contains Technical Memoranda describing various aspects of the groundwater data Field activities have already provided insight into the collection and analyses and contour maps of the size and shape of the aquifers, the direction and rate of information needed to characterize the aquifers. Raw data used in these Technical Memoranda are stored groundwater ? ow, the amount of groundwater available in HydroBase, the States hydrologic database. in the aquifers, and the effects of pumping on the groundwater resource.