Forest River Community

Aquifer Recharge and Recovery (ARR) For Irrigation Use

William Schuh ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE Now ARR and ASR

Manmade processes or natural processes enhanced by humans that convey water underground.

The processes replenish ground water stored in aquifers for beneficial purposes. ...

ARR (Aquifer Recharge and Recovery = Infiltration through a basin, and recovery through a well HISTORY of ARR IN NORTH DAKOTA 1.Valley City - 1930s 2.Minot - 1950s 3.Oakes - Garrison Diversion Project National Priority - Late 1980s Pilot Project - Water Commission, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey 4. Englevale Feasibility Study 5. Forest River Community 1992 through present REQUIREMENTS

1. Water Supply - sufficient unused water 2. Adequate aquifer storage potential - unfilled storage 3. Infiltration capacity - sand, water table depth 4. Recovery capacity - sufficient aquifer depth and pumpability 5. Aquifer retention - distance from discharge areas: rivers, wetlands, etc. 6. Regulatory compliance (water quality, etc.) 7. Management capability - pump and convey the surface water, maintain the porosity of the basin surface, ability to capture from the aquifer 1992 Water Permit # 4561 520 Acre-Feet 2,500 gpm 312 Acres

1996 Water Permit #4980 400 Acre-Feet 2,500 gpm 290.4 Acres

1992 Water Permit # 4561 520 Acre-Feet 2,500 gpm 312 Acres Original Basin

Second Basin Water Quality Concerns

Agassiz Rural Water ~ 3/4 mile SE of Basin

Water Quality Sampling

Pesticides General Chemistry Trace Elements Nitrate

Inkster Spring

Model of Water Redistribution and Discharge After Basin Operation

~ 10% of the water recharged in any given year lost through natural discharge, regardless of pumping scenario

~ 35% of all unpumped waters at the end of the operational year would be lost through natural discharge

Conclusion

In most cases, use of ARR in thin shallow unconfined aquifers must be viewed as a means for transferring unused surface waters to a ground-water reservoir for beneficial use within a short period of time Annual Management Plan Effect of Suspended Solids

Oakes Artificial Recharge Experiment: Spring 1987 Filter Cake Figure B-1. John Deere 770TM grader used to “peel” filter cake. The grading operation begins on two edges of the basin, and the filter cake is scraped toward the center, where a single pile is collected for removal.

Figure B-2. John Deere JP686TM self-loading scraper, used to collect the filter-cake pile deposited by the grader. Figure B-3. John Deere JP686TM self-loading scraper depositing the filter-cake residue collected from the basin floor on the outside of the basin berm.

Clean and Ready for fill

WRI No. 7 WRI No. 47 WRI No. 48

http://www.swc.nd.gov/info_edu/reports_and_publications/water_resource_investigations.html Thank You

REQUIREMENTS

1. Water Supply - sufficient unused water Sufficient unappropriated flows for diversion 2. Adequate aquifer storage potential - unfilled storage 3. Infiltration capacity - sand, water table depth

4. Recovery capacity - sufficient aquifer depth and pumpability 5. Aquifer retention 6. Regulatory compliance (water quality, etc.) 7. Management capability

1992 Water Permit # 4561 520 Acre-Feet 2,500 gpm 312 Acres

1996 Water Permit #4980 400 Acre-Feet 2,500 gpm 290.4 Acres

~ 10% of the water recharged in any given year lost through natural discharge, regardless of pumping scenario

~ 35% of all unpumped waters at the end of the operational year would be lost through natural discharge

In most cases, use of ARR in thin shallow unconfined aquifers must be viewed as a means for transferring unused surface waters to a ground-water reservoir for beneficial use within a short period of time