ABSTRACT & POWERPOINT PRESENTATION Stabilizing and Restoring an Aquifer and Springs Managed Aquifer Recharge in the Walla Walla Basin Robert Bower, M.Sc., B.Sc. Principal Hydrologist Golder Associates Christchurch, New Zealand Managed Aquifer Recharge Symposium January 25-26, 2011 Irvine, California Symposium Organizers: National Water Research Institute Orange County Water District Water Research Foundation www.nwri-usa.org/rechargesymposium2011.htm
Title: Stabilising and Restoring an Aquifer and Springs Managed Aquifer Recharge in the Walla Walla River Basin, Oregon (2004 2010) The Walla Walla Basin is a bi state basin in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, through which flows the Walla Walla River. The river system itself is a primary passage and rearing habitat for endangered steelhead and bull trout, and a focus of tribal efforts to restore Chinook salmon and lamprey populations. The middle section of the Walla Walla River system is highly modified with numerous distribution channels which divert water out of the main channel for irrigation. While many of the distribution channels ultimately flow back to the main channel downstream flow in the middle section of the Walla Walla River are significantly reduced. Much like a large scale braided river system, the underlying alluvial aquifer has demonstrated strong connectivity between the surface water and groundwater. Over the past 100 years, human activities including the straightening of natural river channels, the lining of irrigation canals as well as a dramatic increase in groundwater withdrawals have resulted in declining groundwater levels and subsequent decreased natural spring flows. Recognizing these trends, the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council (WWBWC) in partnership with the Hudson Bay District Improvement Company (HBDIC) decided in 2003 and 2004 to build a pilot alluvial managed aquifer recharge (MAR) project. The goals of this project are to test the feasibility of MAR, and develop operational and monitoring plans that can be used to facilitate future MAR projects. Recharge operations have been conducted at the HBDIC MAR site in the winter and spring of each of the past 6 years. We will discuss the permitting, construction and operations of spreading basins as well as the design and results of a system wide surface and groundwater monitoring system. We will also discuss the operational issues and constraints from six recharge seasons where the site was operated for a total of 602 days. During this time, approximately 13,100 acre feet (16.1 Million m 3 ) of water was discharged to the underlying alluvial aquifer system. Recharge volumes ranged from a low of approximately 400 acre feet (493,000 m 3 ) during the first recharge season, 36 days in the spring of 2004, to a high of 3200 acre feet (3.95 Million m 3 ) in the 128 day long 2006 2007 recharge season. The HBDIC MAR project is interpreted to have had a beneficial impact on the surrounding area, including flow restoration in the springs that feed Johnson Creek and increased water levels seen in wells in the vicinity of the site. The fact that long term water level declines appear to have been slowed, or even reversed in local wells suggest that MAR has the potential to both increase water levels in the alluvial aquifer and replace water lost to pumping (increased storage). Groundwater quality also has been shown to have not been degraded as a result of the project. The project has lead to the incorporation of MAR into an overall water management program that include water banking and changes to water regulations.
Stabilizing and Restoring an Aquifer and Springs - Managed Aquifer Recharge in the Walla Walla Basin Washington-Oregon, USA Bob Bower, MSc-Eng., BSc., Principal Hydrologist Golder Associates, Christchurch New Zealand NWRI s MAR Symposium Irvine, California Theatrette 26 th, January 2011, Session 2 at 11:10 am
Program Structure Project Contacts Funding and Support Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council Brian Wolcott Director Rick Henry Hydrogeologist Hudson Bay District IC Jon Brough Manager HBDIC Over 100 years of service. January 31, 2011 2
Today Why MAR in Walla Walla Basin? HBDIC Site Overview Results Operations Groundwater Storage Spring and River Base Flows Summary Next Steps
Walla Walla Basin Columbia Plateau
Walla Walla Basin
Walla Walla Basin Groundwater Storage Tiled wetlands Floodplain function Impervious Area Recharge Discharge Pumping Irrigation Efficiency Declining baseflows and springs
Groundwater storage losses
Declining Spring and River Flows Historical to Present Flow on McEvoy Spring Branch 7 6 5 Flow (cfs) 4 3 WWBWC and OSU Flow Measurements 2 1 USGS and State Historical Flow Measurements 0 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 Date
WA OR N Canals/Streams Springs
HBDIC Recharge Site Timeline 2000-2002 Community targets aquifer-spring issue 2003 Limited Testing License (1 st in State of Oregon) Source - Walla Walla River Nov 1 st May 15 th Water Quality Program EPA DWS Construction 2004 Begins Operations (Phase I) 2005 Basin Expansion (Phase II) 2008 Basins Expansion/Gallery testing (Phase III) 2010+ Basin Expansions/Gallery testing (Phase IV) January 31, 2011 10
HBDIC Recharge Site Map
HBDIC Operations Results January 31, 2011 12
Site Geology River Alluvium January 31, 2011 13
Operations Results: Seasonal Volumes Recharge Seasons Days of Operation (actual) Site Expansion Phase Recharge Area (acres) Basin Recharge Volume (acre-feet) Total Basin Recharge (acre-feet) Spring 2004 36.0 I 0.3 409 409 (2004) 2004-2005 28.7 I 0.3 388 2004-2005 35.7 II 1.1 650 1871 (2004-5) 2005-2006 118.1 II 1.1 2,813 2813 (2005-6) 2006-2007 128.0 II 1.1 3,278 3234 (2006-7) 2007-2008 86.8 II 1.4 1,939 2007-2008 34.5 III 1.4 820 2739 (2007-8) 2008-2009 134.5 III 1.4 2,840 2840 (2008-9) 602.3 13,137 January 31, 2011 14
HBDIC Percolation Rates (m/d) HBDIC Percolation Rates: 2004 9 (m/d) 23.2? 10.0 8.8 6.6 6.3 4.7 5.1 4.5 Spring 2004 2004 2005 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2007 2008 2008 2009 January 31, 2011 16
Recharge Area versus Percolation Rate (m/d) 180 HBDIC Site: Percolation Rates versus Area (2003 2009) 160 140 Percolation (metres/day) 120 100 80 60 40 y = 17.42ln(x) + 151.49 R² = 0.9832 Percolation 2003 Test Pit IG 2 (2008) Basins Phase I Basins Phase II Basins Phase III Log. (Percolation) 20 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Recharge Surface Area (metres 2 ) January 31, 2011 17
Tracking Groundwater to Spring Flow 1. Pressure Response 2. Storage Response W1 W2 W3 spring January 31, 2011 18
Aquifer-Spring: Pressure Response (1 st ) W1 W2 W3 spring January 31, 2011 19
Aquifer-spring: Increasing Storage (2 nd ) W1 W2 W3 spring January 31, 2011 20
667 GW-34 GW-31 594 A. GW-45 Well Elevations (Top of Grade Feet) A. GW-14 925
Upgradient Control (GW-14)
HBDIC Site Aquifer Response (GW-45)
Downgradient Wells Increasing Storage? (GW-31)
Positive Aquifer Response (GW-34)
Spring Flow Response to Recharge January 31, 2011 26
Tracking Recharge Pressure Response January 31, 2011 27
Summary Clogging versus Net Storage? Site Clogging Management Plan Net increase in aquifer storage Downgradient springs flowing (seasonally) Recharge to spring flow (pressure/tracers/modeling) Shift to Catchment Scale MAR program (2009-10) January 31, 2011 29
Next Steps Programmatic Level Successful negotiations Additional 83 cfs Varying Methods field, basins, gallery, ditch, etc. 10+ Additional Sites Continued Funding Irr. Districts/State and Federal Support Basin Wide IWFM Modeling (OSU/WWBWC) System Response Monitoring January 31, 2011 30
Walla Walla Basin MAR Program Rick.Henry@wwbwc.org Brian.Wolcott@wwbwc.org www.wwbwc.org
Golder s Global MAR Team MAR TEAM HIGHLIGHTS Southern Florida Water Management District: Regional Risk and Environmental Benefits Assessment of 300+ ASR well program to restore Everglades National Park. Walla Walla, Washington: Use of infiltration basins and galleries to restore spring flows to salmonbearing river and stabilize declining groundwater supplies. Essex and Suffolk, United Kingdom: Pilot testing and diffusion exchange modelling of injection wells for municipal water needs in a fractured chalk aquifer. Redmond, Washington: Recharge of stormwater as means to reducing surface runoff, removing contaminants and recharging aquifer supplies. Delphi, India: Assessment of mandatory rooftop rainfall harvesting and check dam structures for MAR groundwater storage program. Adelaide, South Australia: Assessment of feasibility of rainwater harvesting and reuse for industrial site water management and sustainability. There are numerous above and below ground water management tools for the implementation of Managed Aquifer Recharge. From rainwater harvesting to deep injection-recovery wells, Golder has the global expertise to help you build a sustainable and cost effective managed underground storage program. Thank you Bob Bower rbower@golder.co.nz New Zealand +64 3 377 5696 Australia +61 8 9213 7600 USA +1 206 267 1166 Florida +1 904 363 3430 Portland +1 503 607 1820 United Kingdom +44 1628 586 200