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<br />PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL FOR <br />00061 SHYDROGEOLOGY OF THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER VALLEY, NEBRASKA <br /> <br />I'), <br /> <br />BRIEF STATEMENT OF PROBLEM <br /> <br />The North Platte Valley Water Coalition (NPVWC) needs to quantify the <br />conjunctive use of surface and ground water in the North Platte River Valley <br />from Lake McConaughy to the Nebraska-Wyoming border. Information needed to <br />assess the interrelationships between surface and ground water are: (l) the <br />seepage of water b~Lw'=t:ll ::.urface 'Water (str~~w.s ~nd c3nals) E.nd thp. <br />g.ound-water system; and (2) the losses of water due to evapotranspiration <br />from the different land uses and evaporation from surface water. The cu.rent <br />hydrogeologic system appears to be in a dynamic equilibrium. However, <br />potential changes in the volume and timing of the surface-water diversions may <br />alter this relationship. Therefore, the surface- and ground-water systems <br />need to be studied so that these potential changes in surface-water diversions <br />can be evaluated to ascertain their impact on this hydrogeologic system and on <br />agriculture and fish and wildlife in this area. <br /> <br />OBJECTIVE <br /> <br />Develop quantitatively the hydrogeologic relationships between streams <br />and canals and ground water so that the movement of water between these <br />features can be calculated. The following physical processes will be <br />described: <br /> <br />(l) evapotranspiration by different land uses within the valley, <br />(2) evaporation from wetlands and surface-water bodies, <br />(3) recharge to the aquifer from precipitation and excess surface- <br />and ground-water irrigation applications, and <br />(4) seepage of water between surface water (streams and canals) and <br />the ground-water system. <br /> <br />POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF STUDY <br /> <br />(1) A better understanding of the hydrogeologic system will result in <br />better planning of the surface- and ground-water resources in the North Platte <br />River Valley. <br /> <br />(2) A variety of management practices ,can be evaluated to determine the <br />effects that decreasing canal diversions and/or seepage from the canals would <br />have on ground-water levels and streamflow. <br /> <br />APPROACH <br /> <br />Existing data will be assembled, processed, and evaluated. These data will <br />include information on: (1) test-hole logs, (2) drillers' logs of irrigation <br />wells and test holes, (3) computation of hydraulic conductivity and specific <br />yield using the test-hole program and processed logs, (4) climate, soils, land <br />use, and water use, (5) ground-water levels, (6) streamflows, (7) canal <br />diversions and returns, and (8) surface- and ground-water irrigation. <br /> <br />Additional data will need to be collected and evaluated. These data will <br />include: (1) measurements of ground-water levels in the spring and fall for 2 <br />years, (2) a land-use inventory, (3) mapping of surface-water drains, (4) <br />placement of rain gages throughout the study area for additional <br />growing-season climatic data, and (5) placement of a few shallow observation <br />wells with recorders near canals to obtain seepage data. <br />