WSPC03939

• File Number: 8460.500
• Description: Platte River Basin - Endangered Species Issues - South Platte Recovery Program
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 12/5/1995
• Author: Matthew J Cook
• Title: South Platte Agreement - Groundwater Recharge as Augmentation for Restoring Wetlands Along the Central Platte River Nebraska - Final Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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site are shown in Figure 4. Within the boundaries of these four wells, a detailed
depth-to-groundwater survey was completed by Wesche et. al. (1994) in the
Platte River Wetland Hvdroloov Studv on a day that approximated median water
levels. The proposed recharge basin is located along the west side of the
dashed area, due to the groundwater gradient of the site decreasing in the
direction of river flow.
4.4 Determination of Natural CSUPAW Model Parameters
The CSUPAW model required the input of several hydrological
parameters. The hydrological parameter of depth-to-groundwater was
determined using the report by Wesche et. al (1994). The depth-to-groundwater
for the recharge site was determined using the detailed depth-to-groundwater
plot for the representative dashed area in Figure 4 as well as the depth-to-
groundwater hydrograph for the well RS8CDC (see Appendix). This depth
varied throughout the year and was approximately 2.4 feet at well RS8CDC
during February, when the recharge operation would begin.
The thickness of the unconfined aquifer beneath the Rowe Sanctuary site
was determined by contacting the U.S. Geological Survey. The value provided
by the U.S.G.S. for the aquifer thickness, the depth to bedrock (top of the
confining rock layer), was 76 feet. This value was an average of depths
obtained at three test holes drilled at a Platte River Whooping Crane
Maintenance Trust site five miles downstream of the Rowe Sanctuary site.
According to Tom Huntzinger; Project Chief, Central Nebraska Study Unit, the
saturated thickness of the aquifer at the Rowe Sanctuary site should be very
similar to the Crane Trust site,
In order to determine model parameters associated with the soil, a soil
map of Buffalo County, Nebraska was obtained from the Nebraska Natural
Resources Conservation Service. The location of the Rowe Sanctuary site
within Buffalo County was found on sheet 75 of the soil map (Buffalo County
1974). The Rowe Sanctuary site primarily contained soil classified as PL
(platte-Aida Complex). Portions of the site immediately adjacent to the river

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