Seasonal Fluctuations of Stream Water-Groundwater Interactions
Location
Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
3-30-2011 10:25 AM
End Date
3-30-2011 10:30 AM
Description
Our understanding of complex surface water-groundwater interactions has made progress in recent decades; however, information regarding seasonal fluctuations is currently limited. Investigating both the seasonal and spatial variability of these interactions can support more accurate predictions of pollutant transport and, therefore, the effects of anthropogenic activities. A case study was performed on a 515 meter reach at Curtis Creek to investigate these types of variability. Curtis Creek is a perennial groundwater fed mountain stream located in Northern Utah. Two study periods were selected at different flow regimes in the early summer and late fall. Dilution gauging was used to directly estimate groundwater exchange in terms of gains and losses within three sub-reaches that constitute the entire study reach. Supporting data were collected to determine the difference in head between surface water and groundwater. These include high-frequency discharge estimates at the sub-reach boundaries, stream water surface elevations at various locations within the reach, and depth to groundwater in the adjacent shallow aquifer. We found that one sub-reach showed concurrent gains and losses during summer flows and only a gain during the fall, but exchanges were consistently diminished during fall conditions for all sub-reaches. Funding was provided by EURP.
Seasonal Fluctuations of Stream Water-Groundwater Interactions
Eccles Conference Center
Our understanding of complex surface water-groundwater interactions has made progress in recent decades; however, information regarding seasonal fluctuations is currently limited. Investigating both the seasonal and spatial variability of these interactions can support more accurate predictions of pollutant transport and, therefore, the effects of anthropogenic activities. A case study was performed on a 515 meter reach at Curtis Creek to investigate these types of variability. Curtis Creek is a perennial groundwater fed mountain stream located in Northern Utah. Two study periods were selected at different flow regimes in the early summer and late fall. Dilution gauging was used to directly estimate groundwater exchange in terms of gains and losses within three sub-reaches that constitute the entire study reach. Supporting data were collected to determine the difference in head between surface water and groundwater. These include high-frequency discharge estimates at the sub-reach boundaries, stream water surface elevations at various locations within the reach, and depth to groundwater in the adjacent shallow aquifer. We found that one sub-reach showed concurrent gains and losses during summer flows and only a gain during the fall, but exchanges were consistently diminished during fall conditions for all sub-reaches. Funding was provided by EURP.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2011/Posters/27