Jordan River Return Flow Study
Location
ECC 203
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
4-5-2007 11:10 AM
End Date
4-5-2007 11:30 AM
Description
The purpose of the Jordan River Return Flow study was to evaluate return flows to the Jordan River due to changes in land use, particularly conversion of land from agriculture to urban, and the effects of future reuse projects on the flows in the River. The study area is located in Salt Lake County, Utah. The Jordan River is an important waterway in Utah because of stakeholder’s dependence on the water that flows along its path from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, the most populous area in the state (see Figure 1). Recently, a group of local water suppliers and wastewater agencies (the Recycled Water Coalition) met and discussed their common interests pertaining to return flows to the Jordan River and wastewater recycling. This study allows the Coalition to consider the flow impacts to the lower Jordan River that may result from changes such as increased wastewater recycling and increased imported water from other outside supply sources. The coalition will use this model to simulate the impact of wastewater recycling on return flows to the Jordan River and discuss options with other water right holders along the river. The water balance model of the Jordan River Basin was created using CH2M HILL’s VOYAGE™ water balance simulation tool. The results of the study show that return flows in the Jordan River have increased since 1945 and will tend to increase in the future. The increase of return flows to the river are mainly due to increases in imported water for Municipal and Industrial (M&I) uses. Canal diversions in the basin have been historically decreasing, and will tend to decrease in the future as agricultural lands are being converted to urban land uses.
Jordan River Return Flow Study
ECC 203
The purpose of the Jordan River Return Flow study was to evaluate return flows to the Jordan River due to changes in land use, particularly conversion of land from agriculture to urban, and the effects of future reuse projects on the flows in the River. The study area is located in Salt Lake County, Utah. The Jordan River is an important waterway in Utah because of stakeholder’s dependence on the water that flows along its path from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, the most populous area in the state (see Figure 1). Recently, a group of local water suppliers and wastewater agencies (the Recycled Water Coalition) met and discussed their common interests pertaining to return flows to the Jordan River and wastewater recycling. This study allows the Coalition to consider the flow impacts to the lower Jordan River that may result from changes such as increased wastewater recycling and increased imported water from other outside supply sources. The coalition will use this model to simulate the impact of wastewater recycling on return flows to the Jordan River and discuss options with other water right holders along the river. The water balance model of the Jordan River Basin was created using CH2M HILL’s VOYAGE™ water balance simulation tool. The results of the study show that return flows in the Jordan River have increased since 1945 and will tend to increase in the future. The increase of return flows to the river are mainly due to increases in imported water for Municipal and Industrial (M&I) uses. Canal diversions in the basin have been historically decreasing, and will tend to decrease in the future as agricultural lands are being converted to urban land uses.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2007/AllAbstracts/5