Bambra Fault 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 Jacobs SKM Barwon Downs Hydrogeological Conceptual Model Analysis of drawdown to refine the conceptual model at the Bambra Fault FINAL 1 4th February 2016 mdGroundwater author: Mike Dudding ABN 75 940 815 281 mdGroundwater J0011 i Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Obectives ................................................................................................................................ 1 2 Observation bores ........................................................................................................................... 3 3 Response to Pumping ..................................................................................................................... 4 3.1 General Aquifer Response ...................................................................................................... 4 3.2 Distance Drawdown ................................................................................................................ 8 3.3 Response Adjacent to the Fault ............................................................................................ 10 4 Aquifer Analysis............................................................................................................................. 14 4.1 Confined Homogeneous Aquifer .......................................................................................... 14 4.2 Semi-Confined Homogeneous Aquifer ................................................................................. 16 4.3 Heterogeneous Aquifer ......................................................................................................... 18 4.4 Partial Barrier Boundary ....................................................................................................... 19 5 Other observations ....................................................................................................................... 22 6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 24 7 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 25 8 References .................................................................................................................................... 26 mdGroundwater J0011 ii Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 1 Introduction 1.1 Background The Barwon Downs bore field is operated under licence from Southern Rural Water. This licence was granted in 2004 after an extensive review process involving an expert advisory panel which considered potential impacts and conditions required for the new licence. This licence is due to expire in June, 2019. A review of flora and groundwater levels completed under licence conditions(SKM and EA, 2008-09) recommended that a long term vegetation and hydrogeological monitoring program be designed and implemented to better understand a range of factors (such as groundwater extraction, drought and land use changes) that may be contributing to the drying of the catchment. The Barwon Downs licence renewal process comprises four stages, with Stage 1 currently in progress. The Desk Top Study (Stage 1, Task B) identified potential gaps in the hydrogeological conceptual model and made recommendations on how these gaps should be addressed. One of those recommendations was to use existing data to evaluate whether the conceptual model at the south-west model boundary (i.e. the boundary between the Barwon Downs and Gellibrand groundwater sub-basins, the north east model boundary (i.e. the combined Birregurra and Colac faults), and the Bambra Fault are sufficiently well defined. The conceptualisation of the SW and NE model boundaries was evaluated in MDG (2014). The Bambra Fault review forms the basis for this report. Note: in this report the NE model boundary is referred to as the Colac Fault. 1.2 Obectives The objectives of the review are as follows: 1. Identify the most likely hydrogeological conceptualisation for the Bambra Fault as indicated by the observed drawdown data 2. Identify any unusual or unexplained characteristics of the drawdown that may require further investigation and/or refinement of the conceptual model (as indicated by the drawdown data) NOTE: It is not the objective of this report to assess aquifer hydraulic properties, even though hydraulic values are produced using the methods applied in this assessment Drawdown is calculated from the start of first main period of pumping which commenced in March 1987. Drawdown during short periods of pumping during the construction of the bore field prior to 1987 would have fully recovered before the March 1987 and, hence, not impact on this analysis. It has been assumed that the Dilwyn, Mepunga, Pebble Point formations form a single aquifer (ie there are no aquitards between these units) because all three units are intersected and pumped by the bore field. mdGroundwater J0011 1 Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 Due to the long periods of pumping used in this analysis, groundwater flow within the aquifers will be predominantly horizontal (ie parallel to the aquifer bedding). As a result, the aquifer vertical hydraulic conductivity will have limited influence on groundwater flow so has assumed to be the same as the horizontal hydraulic conductivity (ie Kh/Kv ratio for the aquifer has been assumed to be 1). Drawdown used in this analysis has not been adjusted for any long term groundwater trends due to non-pumping effects, such as drought. However, drawdown due to climatic effects (i.e. drought) is expected to small (Jacobs, 2015) and, hence, have negligible impact on the data used in this analysis. mdGroundwater J0011 2 Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 2 Observation bores A total twenty seven observation bores monitoring the Lower Tertiary Aquifer on either side of the Bambra Fault were selected for this analysis (Figure 1). These bores were selected due to their relatively long monitoring record that commenced prior to or at the same time bore field operation commenced, and their location on either side of the Bambra Fault. The water levels from these observation bores have been converted to drawdown after commencement of pumping. Some of the bores are the same as those used in the analysis of the South-West model boundary and the Colac Fault (MDG, 2014). The outcrop trace of the Bambra Fault is based on the 250,000 scale Colac Geology Map. The location of the fault shown in the various figures of this report are approximate only and should only be used as general guide. To the north-west of bore 108915 the fault trace bifurcates which indicates that the fault in this area comprises of at least two (and possibly more) up thrown blocks (Figure 1). Bores identified in this analysis as being located to the east of the Bambra Fault are those that are to the east (or up thrown side) of the western most fault trace. Figure 1: Location of Lower Tertiary Aquifer observation bores used in this report 5755000 Approx location of the Birregurra -Colac Fault 102868 107720 109114 109135 5750000 109134 47775 47774 82844 62578 109133 102869 47771 5745000 82841 109113 82842 82843 82846 64240 64230 82848 82845 5740000 64229 82851 82852 Approx location of 64236 82847 64237 the Bambra Fault 48249 108915 64241 5735000 West of Bambra Fault (excluding bores adjacent to fault) West of Bambra Fault (low T zone NW of bore field) West of Bambra Fault (adjacent to fault) East of Bambra Fault borefield 5730000 730000 735000 740000 745000 750000 755000 mdGroundwater J0011 3 Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 3 Response to Pumping 3.1 General Aquifer Response Drawdown has been calculated for each observation bore for the period between March 1987 and June 2015 (Figure 2 and Figure 3). The drawdown at the cessation of the three main periods of pumping, 1987 to 1990, 1997 to 2001, and 2006 to 2010 are presented in Table 1. All bores respond to the three periods of pumping although the response is more subdued east of Bambra Fault (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Only one bore on the east side of the fault, 82845, has a drawdown that is similar to bores on the western side of the fault.The areal distribution of drawdown within the analysis area shows drawdown reaches and extends past the Bambra Fault by the end of the 1st period of pumping (Figure 4) and continues to extend further east across the fault at the end of the 2nd and 3rd periods of pumping (Figure 5 and Figure 6). Figure 2: Drawdown for observation bores within 6 km of the bore field (Bores east of the fault, 48249, 64241, 82847, are plotted as lines without symbols). 55 Pumping Pumping Pumping 48249 1987 to 1990 1997 to 2001 2006 to 2010 50 64236 64229 64230 64236 45 64229 64240 64241 40 82841 82843 35 82847 82848 82851 30 82852 109113 25 Drawdown(m) 82843 20 109113 64240 64230 15 82841 82852 10 82848 82847 48249 5 64241 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 M Dudding J0011: dd data_barwon downs.xlsx Time since start of pumping in March 1987 (day) mdGroundwater J0011 4 Analysis of drawdown: Bambra Fault 2016 Figure 3: Drawdown for observation bores greater than 6 km from