low permeability barrier
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South Platte Well Field Aquifer Recharge and
Recovery (ARR) Facility
Walker Reservoir Pump Station No. 1
34 miles of 60-inch
pipeline
Peter D. Binney Water
Purification Facility
Aurora Reservoir
South Platte River
Denver Metro WWTP
Brighton Ditch
Water Rights
for the Prairie
Waters Project
Case No. 02CW330 (Pending)
Everist Reservoir 6,000 acre-feet
100 cfs Filling Rights from South Platte River
150 cfs Filling Rights from Lupton Bottom Ditch
For storage of augmentation replacement water
Case No. 06CW104
49 Alluvial Wells: Total Cap: 77.4 cfs (50 mgd)
Augmentation Plan to replace depletions to
South Platte From well pumping
ARR A Underground Storage: 1,180 acre-feet
Surface Storage Right: 9,500 acre-feet
Various exchanges to well field, Brantner Ditch,
Brighton Ditch, and Lupton Bottom Ditch
Case Nos. 97CW272 and 97CW392
Walker Reservoir 3,600 acre-feet
100 cfs filling right from Brighton Ditch
Storage of augmentation replacement water
Case No. 03CW414
ARR B Underground Storage: 920 acre-feet
Surface Storage Right: 5,200 acre-feet
Case No. 03CW415
Terminal Storage at Aurora Reservoir, Quincy
Reservoir, and East Reservoir: 46,400 acre-feet
Dry Creek
South Platte River
Brighton
Fort Lupton
The Great MODFLOW Debate
What is the correct value for Riverbed Conductance? What is Riverbed Conductance?
– A parameter used in the MODFLOW River Package (RIV) to compute the rate of leakage from the river to the underlying alluvium
Riverbed Conductance = Kvsb/m
Where: Kvsb = Riverbed hydraulic conductivity in feet/day m = Thickness of riverbed material in feet
Very little, if any, hard data available for Kvsb or m Riverbed Conductance or Kvsb/m ratio normally estimated during MODFLOW calibration process Aurora’s MODFLOW modeling team (Tetra Tech, Deere & Ault Consultants, and Dr. Eileen Poeter) estimated values for Kvsb:
Initial Kvsb/m = 100 feet/day/foot
Final Calibrated Value of Kvsb/m = 55 feet/day
Centennial Water and Sanitation District’s consultant, Dr. Catherine Kraeger-Rovey of W&EST indicated that the South Platte River has a low permeability stream bed layer and recommended:
Kvsb/m = 1.337 feet/day/foot
For stipulation purposes, Aurora agreed to use:
Kvsb/m = 1.337 feet/day
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ple
tio
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Time (Days)
Comparison of URF Curves for Well VW-14
Tetra Tech MODFLOW
AWAS
Tetra Tech MODFLOW w/ W&EST Riverbed Conductance
Distance to River: 410 ft
28 days to 90% Depletion
384 days to 90% Depletion
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50%
60%
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100%
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
De
ple
tio
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Time (Days)
Comparison of URF Curves for Well VW-15
Tetra Tech MODFLOW
AWAS
Tetra Tech MODFLOW w/ W&EST Riverbed Conductance
Distance to River: 570 ft
20 days to 90% Depletion
381 days to 90% Depletion
Summary of
Aurora’s Prairie Waters Project
Completion of Initial Project Feasibility Study: June 2004
Ground Breaking: July 2007
First delivery of water to Aurora: October 2010
34 miles of 60-inch diameter pipe
Supply Pipeline Capacity: 50 mgd (77.4 cfs)
17 Alluvial Wells (current): 12 mgd (490 gpm/well)
49 Alluvial Wells at buildout
Project Cost: $638,000,000
Current Project Firm Yield: 10,000 acre-feet per year
Ultimate Project Firm Yield: 50,000 acre-feet per year