Transient Simulation of Groundwater Levels Within a Sandbar of the Colorado River, Marble Canyon, Arizona, 2004

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Transient Simulation of Groundwater Levels Within a Sandbar of the Colorado River, Marble Canyon, Arizona, 2004 Transient Simulation of Groundwater Levels within a Sandbar of the Colorado River, Marble Canyon, Arizona, 2004 By Thomas A. Sabol and Abraham E. Springer Open-File Report 2013–1277 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Sally Jewell, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Suggested citation: Sabol, T.A., and Springer, A.E., 2013, Transient simulation of groundwater levels within a sandbar of the Colorado River, Marble Canyon, Arizona, 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013-1277, 22 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20131277. ISSN 2331-1258 (online) Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. Cover: Eddy sandbar at river mile 30.7R after recession of the 2004 high-flow experiment, Colorado River, Marble Canyon, Arizona. Visible are piezometers in the bar face regions of the downstream part of the sandbar. ii Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Background ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Study Sites .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Data Collection ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Groundwater Model ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Model Framework .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Hydraulic Conductivity ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Storage Coefficient ............................................................................................................................................ 11 Initial Head Values ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Boundary Conditions .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Model Calibration ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Calibration Criteria and Model Error ................................................................................................................... 13 Model Results ........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................ 18 References Cited ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 Figures Figure 1. Map of the Colorado River in Glen, Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona .............................................. 2 Figure 2. Continuous discharge record for the river mile 30.7 sandbar study site from November 20, 2004 through January 20, 2005. ..................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 3. Plan view image of the river mile 30.7R, Colorado River in Marble Canyon, Arizona ............................. 6 Figure 4. Matched oblique photographic views of the river mile 30.7R sandbar study site, Colorado River in Marble Canyon, Arizona ..................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 5. Idealized cross-section showing the eddy sandbar at river mile 30.7R, Colorado River in Marble Canyon, Arizona ......................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 6. Hydraulic conductivity (K) of model layers 1 and 2 within the three-dimensional groundwater model framework developed for this study, river mile 30.7R, Colorado River in Marble Canyon, Arizona. ..... 10 Figure 7. Plan view image of the river mile 30.7R eddy sandbar study site ......................................................... 12 Figure 8. Measured elevation of groundwater level in all piezometers at river mile 30.7R eddy sandbar site relative to river stage ............................................................................................................................ 14 Figure 9. Graph plot showing measured and modeled groundwater level in piezometers ................................... 16 Figure 10. Graph plot showing measured and modeled groundwater level in piezometer 10 ................................ 17 Tables Table 1. Locations and selected construction data for piezometers installed in the eddy sandbar at river mile 30.7R, Colorado River in Marble Canyon, Arizona. ........................................................................ 7 Table 2. Root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) residual differences between the measured groundwater level in piezometers and the simulated model results at target locations ....... 15 Table 3. Root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) for the measured groundwater level in piezometers and the simulated model results at piezometer 10 ............................................... 18 iii Conversion Factors Inch/Pound to SI Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm) inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) Flow rate cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) SI to Inch/Pound Multiply By To obtain Length centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.) meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi) Area square meter (m2) 0.0002471 acre Flow rate cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.31 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) Hydraulic conductivity meter per day (m/d) 3.281 foot per day (ft/d) Vertical coordinate information is referenced in meters to height above the GRS80 ellipse defined by NAD83(1982). Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to North American Datum of 1983, NAD83(1982). Elevation, as used in this report, regers to distance above the vertical datum. iv This page left intentionally blank v Transient Simulation of Groundwater Levels within a Sandbar of the Colorado River, Marble Canyon, Arizona, 2004 By Thomas A. Sabol1 and Abraham E. Springer2 Abstract Seepage erosion and mass failure of emergent sandy deposits along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, are a function of the elevation of groundwater in the sandbar, fluctuations in river stage, the exfiltration of water from the bar face, and the slope of the bar face. In this study, a generalized three-dimensional numerical model was developed to predict the time-varying groundwater level, within the bar face region of a freshly deposited eddy sandbar, as a function of river stage. Model verification from two transient simulations demonstrates the ability of the model to predict groundwater levels within the onshore portion of the sandbar face across a range of conditions. Use of this generalized model is applicable across a range of typical eddy sandbar deposits in diverse settings. The ability to predict the groundwater level at the onshore end of the sandbar face is essential for both physical and numerical modeling efforts focusing on the erosion and mass failure of eddy sandbars downstream of Glen Canyon Dam along the Colorado River. Introduction and Background Emergent sandy deposits along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, are a key fixture of the ecosystem downstream of Glen Canyon Dam (fig. 1; Rubin and others, 1998, 2002; Topping and others, 2006). Closure of the dam in 1963 reduced the supply of sand-sized sediment in the Colorado River at the upstream boundary of Grand Canyon National Park, located at the mouth of the Paria River, by about 94 percent from a mean annual sediment load of about 60 million metric tons to about 3 million metric tons (Topping and others, 2000a, 2006, 2010; Draut and others, 2005); the remaining 6 percent of the post-dam sand supply is contributed almost exclusively
Recommended publications
  • Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology of the Nankoweap Rapids Area, Marble Canyon, Arizona
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TO ACCOMPANY MAP 1-2608 U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY QUATERNARY GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE NANKOWEAP RAPIDS AREA, MARBLE CANYON, ARIZONA By Richard Hereford, Kelly J. Burke, and Kathryn S. Thompson INTRODUCTION sion elsewhere in Grand Canyon {Hereford and oth­ ers, 1993; Fairley and others, 1994, p. 147-150). The Nankoweap Rapids area along the Colorado River {fig. 1) is near River Mile 52 {that is 52 mi or 83 km downstream of Lees Ferry, Arizona) in Grand Canyon National Park {west bank) and the Navajo METHODS Indian Reservation {east bank). Geologic mapping and [See map sheet for Description of Map Units] related field investigations of the late Quaternary geo­ morphology of the Colorado River and tributary A variety of methods were used to date the de­ streams were undertaken to provide information about posits. Radiocarbon dates were obtained from char­ the age, distribution, and origin of surficial deposits. coal and wood recovered from several of the mapped These deposits, particularly sandy alluvium and closely units (table 1). Several of these dates are not defini­ related debris-flow sediment, are the substrate for tive as they are affected by extensive animal bur­ riparian vegetation, which in turn supports the eco­ rowing in the alluvial deposits that redistributed burnt system of the Colorado River (Carothers and Brown, roots of mesquite trees, giving anomalous dates. The 1991, p. 111-167). late Pleistocene breccia (units be and bf) and re­ Closure of Glen Canyon Dam {109 km or 68 lated terraces were dated by Machette and Rosholt mi upstream of the study area) in 1963 and subse­ (1989; 1991) using the uranium-trend method.
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Map and Upper Paleozoic Stratigraphy of the Marble Canyon Area, Cottonwood Canyon Quadrangle, Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California
    Geologic Map and Upper Paleozoic Stratigraphy of the Marble Canyon Area, Cottonwood Canyon Quadrangle, Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California By Paul Stone, Calvin H. Stevens, Paul Belasky, Isabel P. Montañez, Lauren G. Martin, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Charles A. Sandberg, Elmira Wan, Holly A. Olson, and Susan S. Priest Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3298 2014 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover View of Marble Canyon area, California, showing dark rocks of Mississippian Indian Springs Formation and Pennsylvanian Bird Spring Formation overlying light rocks of Mississippian Santa Rosa Hills Limestone in middle distance. View is southeast toward Emigrant Wash and Tucki Mountain in distance. U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2014 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Suggested citation: Stone, P., Stevens, C.H., Belasky, P., Montanez, I.P., Martin, L.G., Wardlaw, B.R., Sandberg, C.A., Wan, E., Olson, H.A., and Priest, S.S., 2014, Geologic map and upper Paleozoic stratigraphy of the Marble Canyon area, Cottonwood Canyon quadrangle, Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3298, scale 1:24,000, 59 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3298.
    [Show full text]
  • Quantifying the Base Flow of the Colorado River: Its Importance in Sustaining Perennial Flow in Northern Arizona And
    1 * This paper is under review for publication in Hydrogeology Journal as well as a chapter in my soon to be published 2 master’s thesis. 3 4 Quantifying the base flow of the Colorado River: its importance in sustaining perennial flow in northern Arizona and 5 southern Utah 6 7 Riley K. Swanson1* 8 Abraham E. Springer1 9 David K. Kreamer2 10 Benjamin W. Tobin3 11 Denielle M. Perry1 12 13 1. School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, US 14 email: [email protected] 15 2. Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, US 16 3. Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, US 17 *corresponding author 18 19 Abstract 20 Water in the Colorado River is known to be a highly over-allocated resource, yet decision makers fail to consider, in 21 their management efforts, one of the most important contributions to the existing water in the river, groundwater. This 22 failure may result from the contrasting results of base flow studies conducted on the amount of streamflow into the 23 Colorado River sourced from groundwater. Some studies rule out the significance of groundwater contribution, while 24 other studies show groundwater contributing the majority flow to the river. This study uses new and extant 1 25 instrumented data (not indirect methods) to quantify the base flow contribution to surface flow and highlight the 26 overlooked, substantial portion of groundwater. Ten remote sub-basins of the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah and 27 northern Arizona were examined in detail.
    [Show full text]
  • Cogjm.Pre Film 1963-09-24.Pdf (216.9Kb)
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR * * * * * * * * * * * * * ********news release BUREAU OF RECLPJ.AATION Peterson - Interior 4662 WATE For Release SEPTEMBER 24, 1963 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION TO PREMIERE NEW~~IN NEVADA DURING PRESIDENT'S VISIT The world premiere of the Bureau ~lamation's new documentary motion held in- Las-Vegas, Nev .. -,--durin President Kennedy's visit there September 28, the Department of the Interior announced today. The 13!-minute 16 mm. color-and-sound film will be shown on a large screen in the Las Vegas Convention Center rotunda immediately preceding the President's address. On his way to Las Vegas during his conservation tour, the President will fly over nearby Hoover Dam, pioneer Reclamation multipurpose structure, and its reservoir, Lake Mead, for an aerial inspection. The dam and reservoir, along with Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, 370 miles upstream, are featured in the film. "Clear Water on the Colorado 11 presents spectacular scenes of the once-muddy and almost inaccessible Colorado River in the canyons of Arizona and southern Utah, now desilted and cleared by Glen Canyon Dam which began storing water March 13, 1963. The film portrays the miracle of a silt-free Colorado River between the headwaters of Lake Mead and the headwaters of Lake Powell. The film points out that Glen Canyon Dam--topped out September 13, 1963, has desilted and cleared the Colorado River just as did Hoover Dam downstream 28 years ago. A tremendous load of sediment, varying from 24 to 270 million tons in different years, has been deposited at the head of Lake Mead since Hoover Dam was closed in 1935.
    [Show full text]
  • A Sand Budget for Marble Canyon, Arizona—Implications for Long-Term Monitoring of Sand Storage Change
    A Sand Budget for Marble Canyon, Arizona—Implications for Long-Term Monitoring of Sand Storage Change ecent U.S. Geological Survey Rresearch is providing important insights into how best to monitor changes in the amount of tributary- derived sand stored on the bed of the Colorado River and in eddies in Marble Canyon, Arizona. Before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and other dams upstream, sandbars in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons were replenished each year by sediment- rich floods. Sand input into the Colorado River is crucial to protecting endangered native fish, animals, and plants and cultural and recreational resources along the river in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. View of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, showing sandbars that form downstream from There is longstanding interest in tributary debris fans, which constrict the flow of the river and cause eddies. The view is looking upstream the condition and trend of river-related at a point approximately 217 miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. (Photo by Sam Jansen.) resources in and along the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyons are maintained by occurred because releases of water from and Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. replenishment of sand that is supplied by Lake Powell are virtually free of sediment. These resources include endangered native tributaries and redistributed by occasional The tributaries that enter the Colorado River fish, native riparian flora and fauna (plants controlled floods released from Lake downstream from the dam supply only a and animals that live along streams), Powell.
    [Show full text]
  • Glen Canyon Unit, CRSP, Arizona and Utah
    Contents Glen Canyon Unit ............................................................................................................................2 Project Location...................................................................................................................3 Historic Setting ....................................................................................................................4 Project Authorization .........................................................................................................8 Pre-Construction ................................................................................................................14 Construction.......................................................................................................................21 Project Benefits and Uses of Project Water.......................................................................31 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................36 Notes ..................................................................................................................................39 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................46 Index ..................................................................................................................................52 Glen Canyon Unit The Glen Canyon Unit, located along the Colorado River in north central
    [Show full text]
  • Monitoring the Effects of the Spring 2000 Habitat Maintenance Flow on Colorado River Ecosystem Sand Bars
    Monitoring the Effects of the Spring AMDOR 2000 Habitat Maintenance Flow on N Colorado River Ecosystem Sand Bars Department of Geology Sand Bar Studies Fact Sheet January 2001 1200 The magnitude and timing of controlled floods required to ) s / distribute large amounts of sand into eddies and rebuild eroded sand 3 1000 m bars is a critical objective of research and monitoring in the Colorado ( Powerplant Capacity (940 m3/s) e g River ecosystem, downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Aggradation r 800 a h Pre-LSSF Spike Flow Post-LSSF Spike Flow of sand bars at higher elevations is dependent on the size and abundance c Measurements Measurements s i 600 of sand temporarily stored on the channel bottom and the duration D s and stage of the high release. New and existing deposits are valued u o 400 components of the riverine ecosystem. They provide habitat for native e n a and non-native fish, the substrate for riparian vegetation, erosion- t n 200 a t protection for archeological sites, and are used for camping by river s n runners. The 1995 Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement I 0 March April May June recommends scheduled high releases of short duration be implemented 2000 for environmental purposes (U.S. Department of Interior, 1995). Habitat maintenance flows (HMF) are within powerplant capacity Figure 1. Instantaneous discharge at USGS streamflow gaging station 3 Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona, March-June, 2000. The timing of (~940 m /s), whereas those above this discharge are beach/habitat- measurements made before and after the spring 2000 HMF are shown.
    [Show full text]
  • Glen Canyon Report
    The Degraded Reach: Rate and Pattern of Bed and Bank Adjustment of the Colorado River in the 25 km Immediately Downstream from Glen Canyon Dam Paul E. Grams1, John C. Schmidt1, David J. Topping2, and Sara Goeking1 1 Department of Aquatic, Watershed, and Earth Resources, Utah State University 2Water Resources Division, U. S. Geological Survey July 2004 in partial fulfillment of cooperative agreement 1425-98-FC-40-22640 and modifications, between Utah State University and the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center CONTENTS CONTENTS........................................................................................................................ 2 ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 6 STUDY AREA ................................................................................................................... 7 Physiographic Setting ..................................................................................................... 7 Streamflow Regulation ................................................................................................... 9 Sediment Supply ............................................................................................................. 9 Previous Geomorphic Investigations in Glen Canyon.................................................. 11 METHODS ......................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 3 – Affected Environment
    Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan October 2016 Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT Chapter 3 describes the environmental resources (physical, biological, cultural, recreational, and socioeconomic) that could be affected by the range of alternatives for implementing the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP), as described in Chapters 1 and 2. The extent to which each specific resource may be affected by each alternative is discussed in Chapter 4, Environmental Consequences.1 3.1 PROJECT AREA The project area includes the area potentially affected by implementation of the LTEMP (including normal management and experimental operations of Glen Canyon Dam and non-flow actions). This area includes Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, and the river downstream to Lake Mead (Figure 3.1-1). More specifically, the scope primarily encompasses the Colorado River Ecosystem, which includes the Colorado River mainstream corridor and interacting resources in associated riparian and terrace zones, located primarily from the forebay of Glen Canyon Dam to the western boundary of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). It includes the area where dam operations impact physical, biological, recreational, cultural, and other resources. This section of the river runs through Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons in Coconino and Mohave Counties in northwestern Arizona. Although this EIS focuses primarily on the Colorado River Ecosystem, the affected area varies by resources and extends outside of the immediate river corridor for some resources and cumulative impacts. Portions of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GCNRA), GCNP, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) outside the Colorado River Ecosystem are also included in the affected region for certain resources due to the potential effects of LTEMP operations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Colorado River in Grand Canyon: How Fast Does It Flow?
    Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Program The Colorado River U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey in Grand Canyon: How Fast Does It Flow? Opening the jet tubes at Glen Canyon Dam on March 26, 1996, released from Lake Powell a con- trolled flood of water that traveled down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. How fast did the water move? How long did it take for water to reach a particular point along the river? The answers to these questions are important because the speed of river water affects the amount of physical and chemical changes, such as warming by sunlight, that the water will undergo as it moves downstream. Also, very fine particles and substances dissolved in the water travel along with the water, and the speed of the water tells us how fast these move downstream. How is the Water Speed Athough the dye is easy to see where it is first put into the river, it quickly mixes with the much larger mass of river water and becomes invisible. The highest concentration Measured? at sampling sites was between 5 and 35 parts per billion. One part per billion is about equal to one drop in a backyard swimming pool. One way to measure the speed of water is to tag it with a harmless Glen Paria Canyon 114° UTAH ° ° ° substance that is easily identified and 37° 113 112 Ri Dam 111 ve measured with the proper instruments. ARIZONA r River Lees Ferry These substances are called water tracers gin PAGE and are commonly used in both ground Vir water and surface water to track the water movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Discovering the Colorado River
    Discovering the Colorado River Main Discovering The New Horizons On The Redefining The River: Lake Page River River Powell Norm Nevills was a hydraulic engineer who in 1936 began white water river expeditions down the San Juan River. In 1940 Nevills led an expedition that included Barry Goldwater down Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Art Greene and Norm Nevills worked the Colorado River at the same time, touring in different directions. 1940s The Greene Family Collection ACC# 98-1937 3/8 Marble Canyon Lodge which included a lodge, caf�, trading post and dirt airstrip is pictured with the original Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River. Art Greene and family managed the lodge from 1943 to 1949. 1953 Photographer: J. H. McGibbney The Greene Family Collection ACC# 96-1771 Box 4 Album Art Greene (r) with his son-in-law Vern Baker (l) and Roman Hubbell, owner of the Marble Canyon Lodge, seated in the front. Son-in-law Earl Johnson at the helm (not pictured), started the river tour business with Art Greene in 1944. 1940s The Greene Family Collection New Accession First launch of a new airboat, Tseh Na-ni-ah-go Atin' I, at Lee's Ferry was the only airboat used for river trips. Named by Max Johnson. Translated from Navajo: Trail to the rock that goes over. Although the airboat traversed the river well it had drawbacks, such as the noise level and high gasoline consumption. 1947, Photographer: Charles C. Niehuis. The Greene Family Collection ACC# 96-1771 2/9 David and Joyce Muench, and Earl Johnson on a river trip to Forbidden (Aztec) Canyon which is now under water.
    [Show full text]
  • Pacific Southwest Water Plan
    United States Department of the Interior Stewart L. Udall, Secretary Pacific Southwest b WATER PLAN = REPOR January 1964 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION Floyd E. Dominy, Commissioner UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON 25, D. C. January 21, 1964 8URE#U OF RECLAMATlON The Secretary LOWER COLORAOO REGION LIBRARY of the Int,erior Sir: On November 6, 1963, you directed me to supervise the preparation of a revised report to the President and the Congress proposing, on a regional basis, a plan of action designed to deal constructively with the acute water problems of the Pacific Southwest. The attached report of the Commissioner of Reclamation, in which I concur, was prepared under my direction. As you directed, we have been responsive to the views of the affected States, wherever possible. We have maintained coordination with other divisions of the Department, and considered the views of other Federal agencies. The report outlines a plan of action designed to meet the immediate and long-range water needs of the Pacific Southwest, defined in this report as the water service area of the Lower Colorado River Basin including southern California. It presents an initial plan for approval. We recommend prompt authorization of those features of the initial plan for which adequate engineering and economic investi- gations have been completed. Approval of the basic plan and authorization pf the recommended features will start the Pacific Southwest on the road back to water sufficiency. In 1930 the population of the Pacific Southwest was 3-1/2 million. In 1960 it had grown to 10-1/2 million.
    [Show full text]