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<br />Artificial Recharge of Ground Water in Colorado <br />A Statewide Assessment <br /> <br />Manal!e Water Supply <br />AR is utilized as a component of water supply regardless of whether lhe water is used for <br />municipal, agricultural, industrial, or other uses. The objectives can be further categorized as <br />follows: <br /> <br />. Water supply regulation - Surface-water supplies are highly variable with discharge <br />rates varying on a daily, weekly, monthly or seasonal basis. Ground-water availability <br />is less variable and therefore, potentially more reliable as a water source. AR into an <br />aquifer with subsequent extraction on a local basis evens out the variations of surface- <br />water delivery systems. <br /> <br />. Seasonal storage - As a more advanced form of water supply regulation, water is <br />recharged when surface-water supply is plentiful, and recovered later in the year <br />when needed. Figure 1II-2 illustrates the seasonal imbalance between springtime <br />surface runoff supply and later water demand during the summer months. Seasonal <br />storage can regulate water supply through the year. <br /> <br />25 <br /> <br /> <br />OJ <br />E 20- <br />::l <br />g <br /> <br />ro .-. <br />::l IS ---------- ------- ---------~.----...------------------------ <br />" ~.-- <br />" .~-", <br />::: . <br />o 10--------- -------------.~-- -------------------..--------------- <br />~ .. .. <br />E ~ · <br />~ ---------~~------------------------- -----_!~---------- <br />Qj 111111..... <br />0- <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />....",<:> <<.09 ~",~ ,,:-'Q~ ~1>4, )..:,<:> ....~ <br />.... .. .. B Residential demand <br /> <br />,,:-":'0, <,,,,<1 0"'- ~o":; <:>"," <br />Creek fiow (supply) <br /> <br />Fi~ure 1II-2. Waler supply and demand curves. Native waler supply in lhe form of runoff typically <br />peaks in the spring, yet demand doesn't peak until several months later when daily temperatures rise <br />and water use, primarily for irrigation, increases. Water storage bridges the gap between the two peaks. <br /> <br />. Long-term storage - Water is stored, or "banked," during seasons or years of excess <br />supply and is recovered during drought years. Drought is a part of the natural <br />climatic cycle in Colorado. Periods of drought have been documented for the past <br />century as shown in Figure 111-3. The 2002 drought is estimated to have cost the <br />Colorado economy over $1 billion (Byers, 2002). <br /> <br />. Emergency supply - Water is stored to provide a strategic reserve in response to <br />warfare or natural disaster. <br /> <br />. Conjunctive use - This practice integrates the use of both surface and ground water to <br />meet demands. When plentiful, surface water is the primary source while ground <br />water is used when surface-water supplies dwindle. AR mayor may not be used as a <br />part of conjunctive use. <br /> <br />8 <br />