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<br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />1.0 Introduction <br /> <br />Senate Bill 96-153 authorizes a study on the economic life of the Denver Basin <br />aquifers. This project was funded by the Colorado Legislature through the Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board and in cooperation with the Office of the Colorado State <br />Engineer. The S.B. 96-153 work was divided into Phase 1 and Phase 2. At the <br />conclusion of a competitive proposal and interview process HRS Water Consultants, <br />Inc. (HRS) was awarded the contract to perform the Phase 1 work. The Phase one <br />report which included the Phase 2 Scope of Work was submitted on November 13, <br />1996. Following the submittal of a proposal and statement of qualifications, HRS was <br />selected to perform the Phase 2 study. <br /> <br />, I <br /> <br />Discussions concerning the economic life of the Denver Basin aquifers have <br />occurred for more than 20 years. Denver Basin aquifer hydrogeologists realized that <br />production from the Denver Basin aquifer wells will decline over time due to a reduction <br />of the aquifersl saturated thickness caused by pumping. What is not known is how <br />water well production rates will decline and how the cost of Denver Basin aquifer <br />groundwater production will increase over time. The work in S.B. 96-153 is meant to <br />address these two very important questions. <br /> <br />Determining the economic life of the Denver Basin aquifers is a complicated <br />problem. Analysis of the problem involves, groundwater hydrology, hydrogeology, <br />geology, water well hydraulics, analytical and numerical groundwater flow modeling, <br />borehole geophysics, current and future Denver Basin aquifer groundwater demands, <br />population projections, economic analysis, Colorado Water law, and knowledge of <br />water well installation and equipping. The analysis of production and drawdown in a <br />Denver Basin aquifer well is complicated by the fact that aquifers are composed of inter <br />bedded layers of sandstone, siltstone and shale. Denver Basin aquifer water wells are <br />constructed such that wells screens are placed adjacent to the saturated <br />sandstone/siltstone layers. <br />