PUB00053

• Year: 1999
• Title: Metropolitian Water Supply Investigation Final Report
• Author: Hydrosphere Resource Consultants
• Description: Metropolitian Water Supply Investigation Final Report
• Publications - Doc Type: Water Resource Studies

Metropolitan Water Supply Investigation

MWSI Results

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Existing (1996) levels of use of Denver Basin groundwater were estimated to be
approximately 57,000 acre-feet per year. About 50% of this is due to municipal use with
the rest attributed to irrigation, livestock & domestic, and industrial uses, Over 50,000
gpm (over 80,000 acre-feet per year) of municipal well capacity is currently developed
into the Denver Basin aquifers, primarily within Douglas County (HRS, 1997),

Two pilot programs for recharging water into the Denver Basin have been undertaken by
the Willows Water District in cooperation with Denver Water, and by the Centennial
Water & Sanitation District. These projects have successfully injected and stored treated
surface water into the Denver and Arapahoe aquifers, Both studies have stressed the
importance of injecting high quality treated surface water which is chemically compatible
with the native groundwater. There have been varied results with respect to well
hydraulic issues; one pilot program has experienced hydraulic head build-up during
reinjection, while the other program has found an increase in well efficiency over time.

Recharge (injection, storage and recovery) into the Arapahoe aquifer at pilot levels has
been shown to be viable, Additional research and review of these projects will be
required to evaluate the long term effects of injection and recovery operations at higher
levels on wells and the aquifer, the long term well maintenance costs, and the
applicability of recharge to other aquifers in the Denver Basin,

The Denver Basin aquifer system was included in the MWSI's conceptual examination of
conjunctive use because of the size and extent of the aquifer system, the significant
municipal reliance on the aquifer system, and the proximity of existing municipal well
fields to the South Platte River.

Beebe Draw

The Beebe Draw aquifer was examined as a potential groundwater resource for
conjunctive use arrangement for several reasons: 1) it is located relatively close to the
northern part of the metro Denver area, 2) it is part of the Barr Lake irrigation system, and
3) the irrigation companies associates with the Burlington Ditch and Barr Lake are
interested in a cooperative arrangement with Denver area municipal providers as
expressed in the Barr Lake Plan, a multi-purpose water management concept document
produced by the companies, The Barr Lake Plan incorporates the water rights, storage
and conveyance facilities of the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company, the
Burlington Ditch Reservoir and Land Company, and the Henrylyn Irrigation District (the
"Companies").

Beebe Draw is a shallow (up to 100 feet thick) alluvial aquifer located between Barr Lake
and Milton Reservoir, as shown in Figure 8, It is geologically isolated between the South
Platte River on the west and Box Elder Creek on the east. Hydrogeologically it is an
extinct paleochannel of the South Platte. The total storage capacity of the aquifer is
estimated to be between 1 and 2 million acre-feet. The aquifer is relatively porous, with
well capacities as high as 2,000 gpm, The major sources of supply to the aquifer are

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Prepared for the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Department of Natural Resources by
Hydrosphere Resource Consultants, J002 Walnut Street, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302