Using Your Computer for Water Withdrawal Planning and Groundwater Mapping

Transcription

1 Michigan s Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool An Overview Distinguished Senior Research Specialist Michigan State University Dept. of Geography And Institute of Water Research 1 / 29 Act 451 of 1994 (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act), Part 327 (Great Lakes Preservation) Sec (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the owner of real property who intends to develop capacity on that property to make a new or increased large quantity withdrawal from the waters of this state shall register the withdrawal with the department after using the assessment tool, if required under this part, and prior to beginning that withdrawal. A registration under this section may be made using the online registration process. 2 / 29 Why is Michigan regulating largequantity water withdrawals? One main reason to prohibit new Diversions of water from the Great Lakes Basin 3 / 29

2 Act 451 of 1994 (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act), Part 327 (Great Lakes Preservation) Sec (1) The legislature finds and declares that: (b) Water use registration and reporting are essential to implementing the principles of the Great Lakes charter and necessary to support the state's opposition to diversion of waters of the Great Lakes basin and to provide a source of information on water use to protect Michigan's rights when proposed water losses affect the level, flow, use, or quality of waters of the Great Lakes basin. 4 / 29 Act 451 of 1994 (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act), Part 327 (Great Lakes Preservation) Sec (1)(ss) "Withdrawal" means the removal of water from surface water or groundwater. Sec (1)(cc) "New or increased large quantity withdrawal" means a new water withdrawal of over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period or an increase of over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period beyond the baseline capacity of a withdrawal. 5 / 29 Act 451 of 1994 (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act), Part 327 (Great Lakes Preservation) Sec b (1) Beginning on July 9, 2009, prior to registering a new or increased large quantity withdrawal for a proposed withdrawal from a stream or river, or from groundwater, the property owner proposing to make the withdrawal shall utilize the assessment tool by entering the data related to the proposed withdrawal into the assessment tool. 6 / 29

3 How to assess water withdrawal impacts on rivers? Which stream segments will be impacted by a proposed withdrawal (distance matters)? How much water (flow) is available in these stream segments. Temp- and size-class of the affected streams. For groundwater pumpage, how much will the proposed withdrawal reduce the flow in the affected streams. 7 / 29 Stream segments 8 / 29 Stream-flow Estimates Flow estimates for 5,418 stream segments 9 / 29

4 Temp- and size class of streams Cold stream Cold small river Cold transitional stream Cold transitional small river Cold transitional large river Warm Cool stream transitional stream Warm Cool small transitional river small river Warm Cool large transitional river large river Warm stream Warm small river Warm large river 10 / 29 Modeling pumping flow reduction Source of water to a pumping well Ground-water divide gaining stream Decrease in the discharge from the system, resulting from the lowered head in the system, decreased gradients in discharge areas and shifts in the groundwater divide. Cone of depression Q 2 > Q 1 stream gains less Ground-water divide losing stream 11 / / 29

5 WWAT Conceptual Model System User Dynamically Retrieve Location Specific Data Input Information Withdrawal Information Water Source Pumping Frequency Pumping Capacity Aquifer Type Administrative Agency Real-time Updates Water Accounting Updated Water Availability Registration Real-time Modeling Adverse Resource Impact Zones Rerun Model Request Site-Specific Review From MDEQ A B C D or 13 / 29 Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool User enters the location for a new groundwater withdrawal. GIS software determines the home catchment. If the proposed well is in bedrock, the bedrock type for the catchment is identified from the GIS database. 14 / 29 Pass, saline comment stored Switched to glacial aquifer Pass, no restrictions Evaluated using GWIM bedrock properties; streambed conductance with bedrock estimated from the properties of the glacial deposits overlying the bedrock. 15 / 29

6 Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool From the GIS database, the aquifer properties of the catchment and whether it is a Great Lake shoreline catchment are identified. Nearest-neighbor stream segments to the proposed withdrawal site are identified. Distances from the proposed well to the nearest stream segments are computed. 16 / 29 Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool Groundwater flow model runs for each stream segment using aquifer properties for the catchment containing the well and the distances to the nearest stream segments. The solution is evaluated after 5 years of simulation. 17 / 29 Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool The streamflow depletion is apportioned to the neighboring stream segments using inverse distance weighting. Estimated streamflow depletions are compared to the available streamflows and determination is provided to the user. 18 / 29

7 Available streamflows Temp Cold Cold Trans Size Stream Sm. River Stream Sm. River Large R. Zone A (% Index Flow) Reduction < 14 Reduction < 10.5 Zone B (% Index Flow) Reduction < 4 Reduction < 2 Reduction < 3 Zone C (% Index Flow) 14 Reduction < Reduction < 21 Zone D (% Index Flow) Reduction 20 Reduction 21 Reduction 4 Reduction 2 Reduction 3 Stream Reduction < 6 6 Reduction < Reduction < 25 Reduction 25 Cool Sm. River Reduction < Reduction < Reduction < 25 Reduction 25 Large R. Reduction < Reduction < Reduction < 25 Reduction 25 Warm Stream Sm. River Reduction < 10 Reduction < 8 10 Reduction < 18 8 Reduction < Reduction < Reduction < 17 Reduction 24 Reduction 17 Large R. Reduction < Reduction < Reduction < 22 Reduction / 29 Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool 20 / / 29

8 22 / / 29 Screening Tool Results 24 / 29

9 Screening Tool Results 25 / 29 Screening Tool Results 26 / 29 Screening Tool Results 27 / 29

10 2011 (Through /24) Total Zone A Site Specific Reviews / 29 The End 29 / 29