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<br />Discussions concerning the economic life of the Denver Basin aquifers have <br />occurred for more than 20 years. Denver, Basin aquifer hydrogeologists realized <br />that production from the Denver Basin aquifer wells will decline over time due to a <br />reduction of the aquifers' saturated thickness caused by pumping. What is not <br />known is how water well production rates Will decline and how the cost of Denver <br />Basin aquifer groundwater production will increase over time. The study <br />conducted under S.B. 96-153 addresses these two very important questions. <br /> <br />The economic life of the Denver Basin aquif$rs is very complicated. The study shows <br />that, as regional water levels decline due ~o pumping, pumping costs increase. In <br />some areas with greater water level declihes, the number of wells necessary to <br />produce the same volume of water will doubl~ or triple. <br /> <br />Model projections of regional water level: declines based upon future pumping <br />scenarios in Tech. Add. NO.2 appear to indi,cate that the economic life of the Denver <br />Basin aquifers may be longer than some sources have estimated. Additional <br />modeling studies incorporating more accurate estimates for historic and present <br />pumping withdrawals and better projections for future pumping demands would give a <br />better estimate of future conditions in the aquifer. <br /> <br />- 14- <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />1 <br />I <br />I <br />, <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />