Colorado’s groundwater reservoirs–-An underutilized resource

R. Topper
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Abstract

The impact of climate change, particularly in the semi-arid west, has created unprecedented challenges in maintaining a reliable water supply. The water levels in the two largest reservoirs in the U.S., Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at historic low levels. Any further declines in their capacity also jeopardizes them as the largest producers of hydroelectric power in the southwestern U.S. These reservoirs are critical components of the Colorado River Compact that dictates water deliveries and obligations of all states in the basin. As Colorado is the headwater state, reduced flows in the Colorado River will have cascading ramifications to the rest of Colorado’s water supplies. Over 80% of Colorado’s water use is sourced from surface water in seven major river basins. Consequently, reservoir storage is a critical infrastructure component in managing this resource. The west slope contains 70% of the state’s surface water though only 11% of its population. This imbalance creates greater demands for moving west slope water to the Front Range metropolitan areas. Colorado also contains vast groundwater resources in numerous and varied aquifers across the state. Groundwater is mostly used for domestic water supply and supplies water to approximately 20% of the state’s population. Colorado’s groundwater resources are a vital and an under-utilized piece of the state’s water portfolio. Sustainable development of these resources for beneficial use could relieve some pressure on the state’s river systems particularly during drought cycles. Colorado’s alluvial and sedimentary bedrock aquifers also have a tremendous capacity to store more water. Aquifers offer natural capital infrastructure with storage, transmission, and treatment capabilities. Most importantly, storing water underground avoids the massive evaporation losses inherent in surface water reservoirs. The Colorado Water Plan focuses on a measurable objective for future water storage that includes groundwater through implementation of innovative technologies such as managed aquifer recharge. The state has sponsored a number of studies that have identified tens to hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of storage capacity in various aquifers. Unfortunately, the state has only recently promulgated rules and regulations for recharge and extraction in nontributary aquifers outside of the administrative Denver Basin. While a number of metropolitan water districts are exploring or implementing aquifer storage and recovery projects in the Denver Basin, no such operations have been implemented on the western slope. The current water supply situation presents a tremendous opportunity for hydrogeologists to identify and characterize suitable aquifers throughout the state for both water supply and storage.
科罗拉多的地下水库,一种未被充分利用的资源
气候变化的影响,特别是在半干旱的西部地区,给维持可靠的供水带来了前所未有的挑战。美国最大的两个水库米德湖和鲍威尔湖的水位处于历史最低水平。这些水库是科罗拉多河契约的重要组成部分,该契约规定了流域内所有州的供水和义务。由于科罗拉多州是源头州,科罗拉多河流量的减少将对科罗拉多州其他地区的供水产生连锁反应。科罗拉多州80%以上的用水来自七个主要河流流域的地表水。因此,水库存储是管理这一资源的关键基础设施组成部分。西坡的地表水占全州的70%,但人口只占全州的11%。这种不平衡产生了更大的需求,需要将西坡的水转移到Front Range大都市区。科罗拉多州还拥有大量的地下水资源,分布在该州众多不同的含水层中。地下水主要用于家庭供水,为该州约20%的人口供水。科罗拉多州的地下水资源是该州水资源组合中至关重要且未得到充分利用的一部分。对这些资源进行可持续的有益开发可以减轻该州河流系统的一些压力,特别是在干旱周期。科罗拉多州的冲积和沉积基岩含水层也有巨大的能力来储存更多的水。含水层提供了具有储存、传输和处理能力的自然资本基础设施。最重要的是,将水储存在地下避免了地表水水库固有的大量蒸发损失。科罗拉多水资源计划的重点是通过实施创新技术,如管理含水层补给,为未来的水资源储存提供可测量的目标,包括地下水。该州资助了许多研究,这些研究已经确定了各种含水层中数万到数十万英亩-英尺的储存容量。不幸的是,该州直到最近才颁布了对丹佛盆地行政管辖范围以外的非支流含水层进行补给和开采的规章制度。虽然一些大都市水区正在丹佛盆地勘探或实施含水层储存和恢复项目,但在西部斜坡上还没有实施此类操作。目前的供水状况为水文地质学家提供了一个巨大的机会,可以在全州范围内确定和描述适合供水和储存的含水层。
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