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<br />.---0_- <br /> <br />Cal ibration of the Badger Creek Valley Model <br /> <br />Cal ibration of the Badger Creek valley model was complicated by three, <br />'factors: (1) Data with which to reconstruct historic development, particu-; <br />larly water-level data, are less abundant than for Beaver Creek valley; I <br />(2) much of the modeled area is part of the South Platte River alluvium with, <br />\-Iater levels controlled by the regional system; and (3) much of the modeled' <br />area is irrigated by unknown quantities of surface water. Because of these <br />factors, the model was not cal ibrated to the detail achieved for the Beaver <br />Creek valley model. The hydraulic-conductivity value used was a uniform <br />value of 90 ft/d (the same as that used in most of the areas for Beaver Creek <br />valley). ! <br /> <br />A technique was used to compute the flux at each node that would main- <br />tain hydraulic heads at the level contoured using the 1978 data. In total,: <br />these fluxes provide useful information relative to boundary fluxes, net <br />withdrawal, and recharge. The value at any individual node is not, however,' <br />a very reliable estimate of the site-specific recharge or discharge. This is, <br />because: (1) The technique cannot smooth out the disjunctive water table' <br />created when using 10-ft contour intervals; (2) an average water level (at' <br />the center of a nodal area) needs to be specified; and (3) the computed <br />accretion or depletion is extremely sensitive to the head values used in the' <br />computat ion, <br /> <br />Results of this technique indicate that the boundary inflow, which' <br />occurs along al I but the northern edge and part of the northeastern CGrner of' <br />the valley, totals about 17 ft3/s, Boundary outflow to the South Platte River' <br />valley is about 9 ft3/s, Assuming that the system is nearly in a steady-state <br />condition (a reasonable assumption, considering the lack of changes in the' <br />water-level data and the results of the Beaver Creek model), net discharge. <br />from within the valley is 8 ft3/s. Known recharge from surface-water appli-: <br />cations in much of the northern part of the modeled area would indicate that: <br />total withdrawals annually certainly exceed 8 ft3/s, I <br />I . <br />To confirm the occurrence of recharge and pumping, another simulation! <br />run was made with all of the hydraul ic heads at the boundary nodes being held' <br />constant. The drawdown configuration (fig. 3IJ) resulting from this simulation: <br />shows the decline in water levels in the northwestern part of the modeled' <br />area if there were no recharge in those areas to maintain heads as they are: <br />nOW, likewise, a rise in water levels would occur in the southern part of; <br />the modeled area if there were no pumping causing the lower levels that were: <br />measured. <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />i <br />, <br />i <br />, <br />Many simulations were made to provide planners with a variety of con-: <br />ditions for consideration during the design of the project, Alternatives' <br />using different combinations of proposed recharge, pumping, and time periods. <br />included: <br />L- <br /> <br />Predicted Conditions in Beaver Creek Valley <br /> <br />59 <br />