Garey A. Fox, Ph.D., P.E., Derek M. Heeren, Michael A. Kizer, Ph.D.

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OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY Biosystems and
Agricultural Engineering
Evaluation of Alluvial Well Depletion Analytical
Solutions from a Stream-Aquifer Analysis Test
Garey A. Fox, Ph.D., P.E., Derek M. Heeren,
Michael A. Kizer, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University
Funding for this work provided by a FY 2010
Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute
(OWRRI) through the USGS 104(b) Program.
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Introduction

• Streams and Alluvial Aquifers
• Hydraulically Connected/Single Resource
• Alluvial Well Depletion
• Protection of base flow currently not addressed
  in water law systems of many states (OK)

Source Winter et al., 1998, USGS Circular 1139
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Introduction

• Rapid development of analytical solutions for
  alluvial well depletion
• Suggested as alternative means of deriving
  streambed conductivity, Ksb

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Objectives

• Evaluation of analytical solutions using field
  data from multiple geologic conditions is needed
• Assessment of applicability and predictive
  capability

• Stream-Aquifer Analysis Test
• Pumping well adjacent to a stream/river North
  Canadian River in Oklahoma
• Drawdown response measured in multiple
  observation wells
• Stream depletion estimated not measured

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Field Site

• North Canadian River
• Sand bed, partially penetrating stream
• Connects Canton Lake in the north and Lake
  Overholser in the south
• North of El Reno, OK in Canadian County

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Field Site
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Site Characteristics

• Surface geology is Quaternary alluvial sands and
  gravels (aeolian and fluvial in origin)
• Characterized as 15-20 m in thickness with widths
  of 1.6 km from the river
• Drillers logs report mostly fine sand with
  interdispersed clay
• Previous aquifer tests by Ryder (1996)
• Specific yield 0.29
• Hydraulic Conductivity 48 m/d

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Streambed Sediment Sampling

• Five streambed sediment samples
• Thalweg and near-bank sand bars
• Sieve analysis for grain-size distribution

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Streambed Conductivity, Ksb

• Falling-head permeameter tests

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Streambed Conductance, l

• Streambed Conductivity, Ksb
• Average 16.5 m/d
• Standard Dev. 3.1 m/d
• Width of River, W 20-25 m
• Streambed Thickness, M minimal restriction

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Installation of Well Field

• Observation wells installed using GeoProbe
• Installed to 8 m depth with 5 m of screened
  section at base
• Drawdown and temperature measured every 5 minutes
  using water level loggers (HoboWare)
• Installed logger in river to monitor stream stage
  and temperature

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Long-Term Monitoring
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Stream/Aquifer Analysis Test

• Attempted to use several analytical solutions
• Hunt (1999) solution solved in Maple
• Hunt (2003) solution for semiconfined aquifers

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Stream/Aquifer Analysis Test
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Stream-Aquifer Analysis Test
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Stream-Aquifer Analysis Test
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Stream-Aquifer Analysis Test
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Conclusions

• Stream-aquifer analysis test able to derive
  reach-scale conductance
• North Canadian River - fully penetrating stream
  with little to no hydraulic resistance
• Estimated stream depletion of 60 to 70 of Q
  after only 5 days of pumping
• Advantages of earlier solutions
• Considerably simplifies the mathematical
  complexity
• Reduced the number of parameters to parameterize
  the stream-aquifer interaction

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Questions?E-mail garey.fox_at_okstate.eduResear
ch Website http//biosystems.okstate.edu/Home/gar
eyf
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Stream-Aquifer Analysis Test