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Artificial Recharge Report Published <br />The CGS completed a <br />major study, requested by <br />Governor Owens, on the <br />possibility of under- <br />ground water storage in <br />Colorado. The report, Artificial Recharge <br />of Ground Water in Colorado —A Statewide <br />Assessment examines the underground <br />alternative to large surface -water reser- <br />voirs, by using the storage capacity avail- <br />able in the state's numerous and <br />extensive aquifers. <br />Artificial recharge is defined as any <br />engineered system designed to intro- <br />duce water to, and store water in, under- <br />lying aquifers. The CGS first conducted <br />a review of projects across the nation <br />and the globe. Our study focused on a <br />statewide assessment of the location, <br />geology, and physical ability of various <br />aquifers (and unconventional sites like <br />mines and caves) within Colorado to <br />store water through artificial recharge. <br />Artificial recharge is not new to Colo- <br />rado. In fact, the first known applica- <br />tion of artificial recharge was in 1939 at <br />Olds Reservoir near Keenesburg. Cur- <br />rently, the lower South Platte River Val- <br />ley and the San Luis Valley are signifi- <br />cant active recharge areas, recharging <br />up to 300,000 acre -feet in wet years. The <br />report ranks the hydrogeologic poten- <br />tial of various aquifers throughout Colo- <br />rado to store water and has identified <br />storage volumes available in each <br />aquifer. <br />Building large new surface -water reser- <br />voirs is a complicated and costly process, <br />requiring years --even decades —of plan- <br />ning and construction. Artificial recharge <br />has the advantages of shorter term, <br />phased implementation, much lower <br />evaporative water loss, and adaptability <br />to changing conditions or water man- <br />agement objectives. Project design can <br />be modified as implementation proceeds <br />based on experience, advances in tech- <br />nology, and changes in objectives. <br />Because of this flexibility, underground <br />water storage can be an attractive alter- <br />native to help water providers and plan- <br />ners meet future water demands. <br />CGS hydrogeologists have been busy <br />getting the word out about this impor- <br />INFILTRATION PONDS INFILTRATION STREAM <br />SPREADING BASINS DITCHES CHANNELS <br />Recharge supply pipeline or canal —. <br />Ground <br />surface <br />Water <br />table <br />Zo <br />fer•' <br />N <br />Denver Basin Aquifer Recharge Demonstration <br />Project well house near Highlands Ranch. Wells <br />used for groundwater recharge can be installed <br />wherever the best aquifer conditions occur <br />because of their small area of disturbance — <br />even in the midst of a subdivision. <br />tant study, presenting the results of the <br />report to the Colorado Water Conserva- <br />tion Board, State Legislature's Water <br />Resources Review Committee, Colorado <br />Ground Water Commission, Colorado <br />Ground Water Association, and the <br />Colorado chapter of American Institute <br />of Professional Geologists. The report is <br />available at the CGS as Environmental <br />Geology Series 13 (EG -13) on CD -ROM. <br />PLAYA LAND <br />LAKES APPLICATIONS <br />Recharge <br />supply <br />pipeline <br />or canal <br />Base of !' .. _ <br />i��" �i �iiw ��ii orl��il��rr aII��II,��rr „�II��II,��rr �n��u��rr �i��� <br />Aquifer _ 11 c \\ = _ II c \\ = _ 11 c \\ = _ 11 _ \\ = Im Impermeable Bedrock \\ — _ II c \\ _ <br />II - / / \\ i/ -_ 11 = / /\\ ii = 11 = / / \\ // - 11 = / / \\ • p I - r, <br />_ n ii <br />Examples of arti facial recharge by surface in filtration methods. Water for recharge is applied at the surface in man -made or natural depressions to in filtrate <br />down to the underlying water table. <br />10 <br />CGS ROCKTALK Vol. 8, No. 1 <br />