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Water-Budget Analysis of the Upper Big Sandy Alluvial Aquifer Completed

By Colorado Water Science Center September 30, 2017

The Upper Big Sandy Groundwater Management District is concerned with potentially declining groundwater levels and thus available groundwater in storage for the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer in eastern Colorado

This project evaluated changes in groundwater storage within the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin by updating water-budget results for the alluvial aquifer from the Denver Basin model and provided best estimates for the major water-budget components, including groundwater storage. 

 

Approach

  • Compute a basin-specific water budget for the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer from the Denver Basin model using a modeling tool called ZONEBUDGET. 
  • Refine estimates for flow into and out of the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer with available data. 
  • Provide best estimates for the major water-budget components, including groundwater storage in the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer.

Objectives:

The objective of this project is to evaluate changes in groundwater storage within the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin by updating water-budget results for the alluvial aquifer from the Denver Basin model and providing best estimates for the major water-budget components, including groundwater storage.

Below are publications associated with this project.

Water-budget analysis of the Upper Big Sandy Designated Ground-water Basin alluvial aquifer, Elbert, El Paso, and Lincoln Counties, Colorado, 2016

The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Upper Big Sandy Groundwater Management District carried out a study in 2016 to evaluate potential groundwater storage changes within the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin (UBSDGB) alluvial aquifer, including groundwater flow between the UBSDGB alluvial aquifer and the Denver Basin bedrock aquife
Authors
Michael S. Kohn, Jeannette H. Oden, L. R. Arnold
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center

Alluvial and bedrock aquifers of the Denver Basin — Eastern Colorado's dual ground-water resource

Large volumes of ground water are contained in alluvial and bedrock aquifers in the semiarid Denver basin of eastern Colorado. The bedrock aquifer, for example, contains 1.2 times as much water as Lake Erie of the Great Lakes, yet it supplies only about 9 percent of the ground water used in the basin. Although this seems to indicate underutilization of this valuable water supply, this is not neces
Authors
Stanley G. Robson

Hydrology and chemical quality of ground water in Kiowa County, Colorado

Ground water is available in Kiowa County, Colo., in quantities suitable for municipal or irrigation uses from at least two aquifers, the Big Sandy-Rush Creek alluvial aquifer and the Ogallala aquifer. The Dakota Sandstone and the Cheyenne Sandstone Member of the Purgatoire Formation may provide marginally sufficient water for municipal or irrigation purposes. Whil e wells in parts of the Ogallala
Authors
Martha H. Mustard, Doug Cain

Geology and ground-water resources of the Big Sandy Creek Valley, Lincoln, Cheyenne, and Kiowa Counties, Colorado

This report describes the geology and ground-water resources of that part of the Big Sandy Creek valley from about 6 miles east of Limon, Colo., downstream to the Kiowa County and Prowers County line, an area of about 1,400 square miles. The valley is drained by Big Sandy Creek and its principal tributary, Rush Creek. The land surface ranges from flat to rolling; the most irregular topography is i
Authors
Donald L. Coffin, Clarence Albert Horr

Software - MODFLOW

MODFLOW is the USGS's modular hydrologic model. MODFLOW is considered an international standard for simulating and predicting groundwater conditions and groundwater/surface-water interactions.

By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
  • Overview

    The Upper Big Sandy Groundwater Management District is concerned with potentially declining groundwater levels and thus available groundwater in storage for the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer in eastern Colorado

    This project evaluated changes in groundwater storage within the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin by updating water-budget results for the alluvial aquifer from the Denver Basin model and provided best estimates for the major water-budget components, including groundwater storage. 

     

    Approach

    • Compute a basin-specific water budget for the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer from the Denver Basin model using a modeling tool called ZONEBUDGET. 
    • Refine estimates for flow into and out of the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer with available data. 
    • Provide best estimates for the major water-budget components, including groundwater storage in the Upper Big Sandy alluvial aquifer.

    Objectives:

    The objective of this project is to evaluate changes in groundwater storage within the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin by updating water-budget results for the alluvial aquifer from the Denver Basin model and providing best estimates for the major water-budget components, including groundwater storage.

  • Publications

    Below are publications associated with this project.

    Water-budget analysis of the Upper Big Sandy Designated Ground-water Basin alluvial aquifer, Elbert, El Paso, and Lincoln Counties, Colorado, 2016

    The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Upper Big Sandy Groundwater Management District carried out a study in 2016 to evaluate potential groundwater storage changes within the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin (UBSDGB) alluvial aquifer, including groundwater flow between the UBSDGB alluvial aquifer and the Denver Basin bedrock aquife
    Authors
    Michael S. Kohn, Jeannette H. Oden, L. R. Arnold
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center

    Alluvial and bedrock aquifers of the Denver Basin — Eastern Colorado's dual ground-water resource

    Large volumes of ground water are contained in alluvial and bedrock aquifers in the semiarid Denver basin of eastern Colorado. The bedrock aquifer, for example, contains 1.2 times as much water as Lake Erie of the Great Lakes, yet it supplies only about 9 percent of the ground water used in the basin. Although this seems to indicate underutilization of this valuable water supply, this is not neces
    Authors
    Stanley G. Robson

    Hydrology and chemical quality of ground water in Kiowa County, Colorado

    Ground water is available in Kiowa County, Colo., in quantities suitable for municipal or irrigation uses from at least two aquifers, the Big Sandy-Rush Creek alluvial aquifer and the Ogallala aquifer. The Dakota Sandstone and the Cheyenne Sandstone Member of the Purgatoire Formation may provide marginally sufficient water for municipal or irrigation purposes. Whil e wells in parts of the Ogallala
    Authors
    Martha H. Mustard, Doug Cain

    Geology and ground-water resources of the Big Sandy Creek Valley, Lincoln, Cheyenne, and Kiowa Counties, Colorado

    This report describes the geology and ground-water resources of that part of the Big Sandy Creek valley from about 6 miles east of Limon, Colo., downstream to the Kiowa County and Prowers County line, an area of about 1,400 square miles. The valley is drained by Big Sandy Creek and its principal tributary, Rush Creek. The land surface ranges from flat to rolling; the most irregular topography is i
    Authors
    Donald L. Coffin, Clarence Albert Horr
  • Software

    Software - MODFLOW

    MODFLOW is the USGS's modular hydrologic model. MODFLOW is considered an international standard for simulating and predicting groundwater conditions and groundwater/surface-water interactions.

    By
    Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center