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UJ]);)7 INTEGRATING THE USE OF GROUND WATER INTO WATER-RESOURCE PLANNINC By John E. Moore Staff Hydrologist U,S, Geological Survey Denver, Colorado ABSTRACT The consideration of ground water in water-resource planning frequently has been neglected because many planners believed that ground water could not be adequately evaluated in terms of availability, quality, cost of development, or effect of development on the surface-water supply. The rapid expansion of the science of ground-water hydrOlogy in the past decade now provides the water planner with techniques to evaluate these problems. Highly sopbisticated analog and digital models have been developed for use in pl.anning the development of groond-water supplies and the conjunctive use of ground and surface water, and in optimizing management objectives within specified physical, economic, and social constraints. With this development it is now possible to integrate the utilization of ground water into water-resource planning with a high degree of competence. INTRODUCTION The role of ground water in water-resource planning frequently has been neglected because many planners believed that ground water could not be adequately evaluated in terms of availability, quality, cost of development, or the effect of development on the surface-water supply, However, in many areas the ground-water reservoir is a significant part of the hydrologic system, and utilization of ground water offers many alternatives for effective development of the water resource. For example, in areas where the surface-water supply is plentiful, ground water is commonly overlooked. As the use of surface water increases and cost of development increases, the search begins for ground water to supplement the supply, However, as ground water becomes a major part of the total use, one or more of the following problems will probably occur: (1) the ground-water supply is progressively depleted, (2) stream- flow is reduced, and/or (3) water qoality is deteriorated. These problems are causes for alarm and are indications that regional water management is necessary to expand or sustain present supplies. The rapid expansion of the science of ground-water hydrology in the past decade now provides the water planner with techniques for planning ground-water development to resolve these problems. The purpose of this paper is to describe techniques that are currently being used to integrate adequate consideration of ground water into water-resource planning. Several examples of the use of analog and digital models in planning are given and the hydrologic data necessary 2