C150094 Red Mesa Aquifer Groundwater Study 2002

Home Browse Search

Red Mesa Aquifer Groundwater Study — Interim Report 2002 this preliminary estimate should be considered a "first cut" that could be refined as additional and better data become available. (4) Groundwater travel times from each well to its surface water discharge point were also estimated. Several key assumptions were made for this calculation including: • The hydraulic conductivity within the entire study aquifer was uniform and estimated to be 500 gpd/ft2. (Note: the hydraulic conductivity could reasonably be expected to vary two to three orders of magnitude.) • Porosity was also uniform at 30 percent. Groundwater gradients and flow path lengths were calculated from the May 2001 water table. Using these values travel times ranged from a low of two months from the Donald Harris well to Cannibal Canyon, to a high of 26 years from the Hapeman well to Church Hollow (see Table 1A). Groundwater gradients and flow path lengths were also calculated from the December 2001 water table. Using these values, travel times ranged from a low of less than one month from the Dwight Babcock well to Cannibal Canyon, to a high of 45 years from the John Fitzpatrick well to the La Plata River (see Table 1B). It can be seen that the shape and elevation of the water table can dramatically affect the travel path and travel time from a given well to a stream. (5) The amount of water stored in the Red Mesa terrace aquifer can be modified through artificial recharge practices. This aquifer can provide the needed temporary storage to better manage the La Plata River Compact and the water resources in the La Plata Basin. 991-077/031 Wright Water Engineers, Inc. Page 14 1 Interim Report