ALABAMA S FUTURE WITHOUT SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES? NOT ON OUR WATCH Marlon Cook
Geological Survey of Alabama Groundwater Assessment Program
Sustainable Water Resources Sustainable Yield: The water extraction regime, measured over a specified planning timeframe, that allows acceptable levels of stress and protects dependent economic, social, and environmental values (Australia Department of the Environment, 2013).
Water resources should be managed in a sustainable manner to support the State's economy, to protect natural systems by maintaining a safe yield and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens. Sustainable manner is defined as the use, development and protection of water resources at a rate and in a manner that enables people to meet their current needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Safe yield is the amount of water available for withdrawal without impairing the long-term use of the water source, including the chemical and physical integrity of the source.
California Water Management Indicators Goal 1: Sustainable Water Management Aquifer Declines Number and estimated capacity of basins with years-long aquifer declines (known as overdraft) or projected future declines. Baseline Water Stress (WRI) Baseline water stress measures total annual water withdrawals (municipal, industrial, and agricultural) expressed as a percent of the total annual available flow. Higher values indicate more competition among users. This indicator was used by the World Resources Institute in the Aqueduct 2.0 project. Benefits from Water Management Equitable distribution of economic and health benefits from water management. Completion of Stewardship Actions The completion of restoration recommendations and key actions during the implementation phase of the process. Drought Resilience The maximum severity of drought during which core water demands can still be met, including social and environmental minimum requirements Ecological Footprint The Ecological Footprint (EF) is a measure of the amount of biological productive land and sea area are required to meet the consumption and waste production patterns of a population or human process. Energy Requirements for Water Delivery Energy required per unit of clean drinking water delivered. Equitable Decision-Making Process Equitable decision-making process for water management, diversity of participating organizations. Flood Resilience The maximum flood that can be experienced without exceeding some amount (e.g., $10 million) in damages. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land or water management, industrial/commercial activities, energy production, or transportation Groundwater Stress (WRI) Groundwater stress measures the ratio of groundwater withdrawal relative to its recharge rate over a given aquifer. Values above one indicate where unsustainable groundwater consumption could affect groundwater availability and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. The indicator was used by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in the Aqueduct 2.0 project. Historical Drought Severity (WRI) Drought severity measures the average length of droughts times the dryness of the droughts from 1901 to 2008. The indicator was used by the World Resources Institute in the Aqueduct 2.0 project.
California Water Management Indicators Historical Flooding Occurrence (WRI) Flood occurrence is the number of floods recorded from 1985 to 2011. The indicator was used by the World Resources Institute in the Aqueduct 2.0 project. Inter-annual Variability (WRI) Inter-annual variability measures the variation in water supply between years. This indicator was used by the World Resources Institute in the Aqueduct 2.0 project. Participation in Local Stewardship Participation rates in local stewardship by the local stakeholders such as municipalities, indigenous people, irrigation districts, community organizations, watershed associations, conservation groups, and stewardship groups. Potentially Unhealthy Water Supply Number of people whose drinking water supply is potentially unhealthy. Storm Resilience The maximum storm intensity that can occur without causing more than some amount (e.g., $10 million) in damages due to water infrastructure disruptions, including levees and floods Sustainable Water Usage Annual withdrawal of ground and surface water as a percent of total annually renewable volume of freshwater. Water Demand Total agricultural, residential, and commercial water demand, i.e. demand for all uses other than environmental needs and basic human drinking water requirements. Water Footprint The water footprint is the sum of the water used directly or indirectly to produce goods and services consumed by humanity. Agricultural production accounts for most of global water use, but drinking, manufacturing, cooking, recreation, washing, cleaning, landscaping, cooling, and processing all contribute to water use. Water Risk (WRI) Water Risk refers to the risk to water supplies from changes in climate and water withdrawals. The World Resources Institute used this indicator in the Aqueduct 2.0 project. Water Scarcity Index Water scarcity is a function of water availability and water use Water Stress Index Water stress index is typically defined as the relationship between total water use and water availability. The closer water use is to water supply, the more likely stress will occur in natural and human systems. This indicator has been used by the United Nations and others. Water Travel Distance Distance traveled for units of drinking and irrigation water.
Urban Water Forest Disturbed Agriculture Land Use/Land Cover Southeastern United States: The Big Picture of Groundwater Availability and Demand. USGS GAP, 2007
Assessments for Water Resource Management and Policy Development: The Big Picture Effective statewide water management is founded on a number of integrated components that include: Acquisition of fundamental water resources data including: Water Availability Assessments Determine how much water of sufficient quality is available from surface and groundwater sources, current impacts of water production, quantities of sustainable yield, and strategies for future water source development. Consumptive Water Use Assessments Determine how much water is currently used in specified sectors of society, how much water is returned to the environment, forecasts of future water use, and strategies for more efficient water production and use. Instream Flow Assessments Determine how much water should remain in surface channels to support fish and wildlife and the functions of natural hydrologic systems, and impacts of current and future climate and water production. Establish statewide surface-water and groundwater monitoring networks including: A comprehensive water resource monitoring network comprised of strategically located real-time and periodic groundwater level, surface-water discharge, and precipitation monitoring systems, designed to assess climate and water production impacts.
WHY IS GROUNDWATER IMPORTANT IN ALABAMA? 45% of public water supply by volume is from groundwater sources. 70% of the geographic area of Alabama is supplied by groundwater sources. Surface water base flow = 10-20% of total discharge Source of water-use data, USGS-OWR Estimated Use of Water in Alabama 2005
Aquifers Recharge Areas and Confining Layers 160 Geologic Formations 17 Confining Layers 14 Major Aquifers 129 Minor Aquifers Alabama has 553 Trillion Gallons of Groundwater
State-Wide Groundwater Assessment Areas
Surface Water 14 Major Watersheds 47,000 Miles of Perennial Streams 563,000 Acres of Lakes 33.5 Trillion Gallons of Surface-Water 42% of Alabama Surface Water Originates from Other States Data from Auburn University Water Resources Center
State-Wide Surface-Water Assessment Areas
Generalized Stratigraphy Southeast Alabama Major Aquifers Minor Aquifers Potential New Aquifer
Aquifer Recharge Areas
Components of Groundwater Recharge
Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
Aquifer Recharge Unconfined or partially confined recharge for aquifers in the Southeast Alabama pilot project area Aquifer Recharge Area (mi 2 ) Million g/d Gallons/d/mi 2 In/yr Tuscaloosa Group 643 106.3 165,300 4.4 Eutaw Formation 445 121.9 273,900 5.8 Cusseta Member Ripley Formation 267 32.9 123,200 2.6 Ripley Formation 453 61.8 136,400 2.9 Providence Formation 569 29.0 51,000 1.1 Clayton Formation 461 78.3 169,800 3.7 Nanafalia Formation 563 133.9 237,800 5.0 Lisbon and Tallahatta Formations 1,129 269.9 239,100 5.0 Crystal River Formation 1,683 408.4 242,700 5.1
Aquifer Confined recharge for selected aquifers in the Southeast Alabama pilot project area Aquifer Transvissivity (ft 2 /d) Thickness (ft) Hydraulic Gradient (ft/mi) Gordo Formation 3,000 175 3.3 6.5 Ripley Formation 7,500 100 11.4 37.8 Clayton Formation 10,000 150 7.5 48.1 Nanafalia Formation 4,470 50 8.3 24.6 Recharge (million gal/d) Recharge volumes for unconfined and confined zones of major aquifers in the southeast Alabama project area Crystal River Nanafalia Clayton Ripley Cusetta Providence Eutaw Tuscaloosa Group/Gordo 0 50 Confined Recharge Volume Unconfined Recharge Volume 100 150 200 250 Recharge (Mgd) 300 350 400 450
Groundwater in Subsurface Storage When storativity is multiplied by the surface area overlying an aquifer and the average hydraulic head above the stratigraphic top of a confined aquifer, the product is the volume of available groundwater in storage in a confined aquifer (Fetter, 1994): V w = SA h Storativity, related aquifer characteristics, and available groundwater in storage for major confined aquifers in the project area Aquifer Lower Cretaceous Average effective porosity (percent) Confined aquifer area (fresh water) (mi 2 ) Aquifer potential productive interval thickness (ft) Storativity Available groundwater in storage (million ft 3 ) (million gal) 28 2,400 350 0.0000044 294.4 2,202.4 Coker Formation 32 4,500 210 0.0000026 293.6 2,196.1 Eutaw and Gordo Formations 36 4,000 175 0.0000030 281.0 2,102.3 Ripley Formation 30* 4,600 100 0.0000013 58.4 436.5 Clayton Formation and Salt Mountain Limestone Nanafalia Formation 40* 1,980 325 0.0000019 124.5 931.2 30* 2,900 50 0.0000006 2 7.9 billion gallons 15.6 116.5
Groundwater Use, Recharge, and Subsurface Storage 10000 Millions of gallons per day 7,869 1000 117 78 100 10 Total groundwater use Confined aquifer recharge Groundwater in subsurface storage Groundwater (millions gallons)
Initial Potentiometric Surface Map Clayton Aquifer Pre 1970
Current Potentiometric Surface Map Clayton Aquifer
Production Impact Map
Well capture zone and spacing data for southeast Alabama aquifers Aquifer Range of residual drawdown (feet) Average capture zone area (mi 2 ) Optimum well spacing (miles) Along strike of hydraulic gradient direction Gordo 0-154 1.9 1.5 2.0 Ripley 0-149 2.6 1.0 2.5 Clayton 0-204 2.0 1.0 2.0 Nanafalia 0-189 1.2 1.0 2.0 Tallahatta 1-119 0.5 1.0 1.5 Tuscahoma 31-119 3.5 1.5 2.5 Lisbon 0-33 0.6 1.0 1.0 Crystal River 0-27 1.0 1.0 1.0 Up or down gradient direction
Aquifer Decline Curve Analysis Water level decline rate = 4.9 ft/yr
Water level (feet, below land surface) 150 155 160 Initial Static Water Level (1978-2003) Water Level Decline = 36.0 feet Rate of Water Level Decline = 1.4 feet per year 165 170 175 180 185 190 10/23/1978 10/28/1987 7/1/2003 11/1/2003 12/1/2003 7/1/2004 11/1/2004 10/1/2005 11/1/2005 7/1/2006 11/1/2006 7/1/2007 11/1/2007 12/1/2007 7/1/2008 12/1/2008 7/1/2009 11/1/2009 7/1/2010 11/1/2010 7/1/2011 11/1/2011 7/1/2012 Measurement Date (2003-2013) Water Level Increase = 16.0 feet Rate of Water Level Increase = 1.6 feet per year 11/1/2012 7/1/2013 Hydrograph of Pike County well L-01, a public supply well constructed in the Ripley aquifer to a depth of 544 ft, screened from 526 to 544 ft bls.
Water level (feet, below land surface) 180 190 200 210 220 Initial Static Water Level (1954-2000) Water Level Decline = 128.3 feet Rate of Water Level Decline = 2.8 feet per year 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 1/1/1954 10/23/1985 3/29/1989 10/10/1991 10/12/1994 10/6/1998 3/1/2000 8/1/2000 12/1/2000 7/1/2001 12/1/2001 5/1/2002 10/1/2002 2/1/2003 10/1/2003 3/1/2004 8/1/2004 3/1/2005 8/1/2005 Measurement Date (2000-2013) Water Level Increase = 24.3 feet Rate of Water Level Increase = 1.9 feet per year 1/1/2006 6/1/2006 10/11/2006 4/1/2007 9/1/2007 3/1/2008 10/1/2008 8/1/2009 9/1/2010 4/1/2011 9/1/2011 3/1/2012 10/1/2012 5/1/2013 Hydrograph of Dale County well F-17, a public supply well constructed in the Ripley aquifer to a depth of 813 ft, with the top of the screen 753 ft bls.
Net Potential Productive Interval Isopach Map Clayton Aquifer
Net Potential Productive Interval Isopach Map Gordo Aquifer
Alabama Groundwater For Large-Scale Irrigation
Water level elevation (ft amsl) 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 Hydrograph of Crystal River aquifer irrigation well X-2, Houston County, Alabama. 130 125 Average April water level 120 115 Average October water level 110 105 Measurement date
Benefits of Water Resource Sustainability Plentiful public water supply Sustained and maximized agricultural yields Adequate industrial process water Waste water assimilation and treatment Economic growth Habitat and species support Quality of life
For more information: Marlon Cook Director, Groundwater Assessment Program Geological Survey of Alabama 205-247-3692 www.gsa.state.al.us/ Questions and Discussion?