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T h e R e s o u r c e f o r S e m i - A r i d H y d r o l o g y

CO2Sequestration

Volume 8/Number 5 September/October 2009

It’s an amazing time to be in businessIn the last ten years we have witnessed seismic shifts—changes that have

affected our personal lives, our communities, and our professional pursuits.

Clear Creek Associates began in September 1999 as an Arizona

hydrological consulting company with a solid foundation of scientific and

professional experience. Over the last ten years, we have seen that experience

grow with the emergence of new technology and new perspectives on water

issues. As we mark our first decade in business, our staff, too, has grown by a

factor of ten. And we have expanded from a focus on the Southwest deserts

to exploring the West Coast’s unique water issues and pursuing the very

different challenges and opportunities on the East Coast.

As our company has evolved, our original approach has continued to

sustain us: practical solutions in groundwater science. That philosophy has

given us the ability to be flexible and responsive to our changing

environmental and economic landscape.

Celebrating ten years and two new offices:

Offering comprehensive hydrogeologic services in five integrated areas:

Groundwater Supply: extensive experience in groundwater development and aquifer storage and recovery including well drilling technology, borehole evaluation, well design and installation oversight, well rehabilitation, plus an Arizona well driller's license.

Groundwater Modeling: technical abilities combined with interpretive skill acquired through five decades of collective team experience in creating and interpreting models.

Hydrogeologic Investigations: focused application of hydrogeological analyses to resolve groundwater issues, address regulatory concerns and water rights issues, and support water-resources planning.

Environmental Services: sound relationships with regulators and demonstrated experience in developing remediation strategies and resolving environmental problems at complex sites in a cost-effective manner; integration of scientific and technical capabilities with legal, business, and community considerations.

Mining Support: clarifying communications, streamlining permitting, and helping companies develop positive relationships with environmental agencies.

Arizona:6155 E. Indian School Rd., Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480)659-7131221 N. Court Ave., Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85701 (520)622-3222

Announcing two new offices:California:114 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Suite A, Claremont, CA 91711 (909)624-8090Virginia:213A Loudoun Street SW, Leesburg, VA 20175 (703)777-4263

www.clearcreekassociates.com

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The Levelogger Gold uses infra-red data transfer, providing the flexibility of installing by use

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From the PublisherIncreasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are contributing

to climate change, and most scientists agree that human activity, especially

the burning of fossil fuels, is responsible. Geologic sequestration of CO2 is

being advocated as a way to stop this increase and slow the rate of climate

warming. This involves capturing CO2 released to the atmosphere from such

point sources as power plants, compressing it into a dense liquid-like state,

and releasing it deep underground into geologic formations where, ideally,

it remains forever and can no longer affect climate. A lot of research and

testing is going into figuring out how well sequestration could work and

what the risks are. So far, the scale of the tests are extremely small compared to the amount of CO2

being generated, but advocates believe they are a significant first step to getting the large-scale buy-in

by major power generators needed to make a difference in atmospheric conditions.

Don’t forget to make plans to attend Southwest Hydrology’s upcoming workshop, “Water and Land

for Renewable Energy in the Southwest,” October 22-23 in Tucson. For information on the program,

speakers, and registration, see page 15 or visit our website.

We thank all the contributors to this issue, and extend special recognition to Greg Schnaar of

Daniel B. Stephens and Associates, who provided numerous ideas, contacts, comments, and content

for the feature articles. We also thank our valued sponsors and advertisers, recognized on pages 9 and

43, who are integral to our ongoing publication.

Betsy Woodhouse, Publisher

A bimonthly trade magazine for hydrologists, water managers, and other professionals working with water issues.

T h e R e s o u r c e f o r S e m i - A r i d H yd r o l o g y

Southwest Hydrology

PublisherBetsy Woodhouse

Technical EditorHoward Grahn

EditorsMary Black

Erika Noebel

Graphic DesignersCindy GroomsShiloe Fontes

Technical WriterAlison Williams

SAHRA Knowledge TransferGary Woodard

Contributors

Advisory BoardDavid Bolin, R.G.Charles Graf, R.G.Jim Holway, Ph.D.

Jeff JohnsonDavid Jordan, P.E.

Karl Kohlhoff, P.E., B.C.E.E.Stan Leake

Ari Michelsen, Ph.DMark Murphy, Ph.D.

Peggy RoeferMartin Steinpress, R.G., C.HG.

Printed in the USA by CityPress

Southwest Hydrology is published six times per yearby the NSF Center for Sustainability of semi-Arid

Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA), College of Engineering, The University of Arizona. Copyright 2009

by the Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved. Limited copies may be made for internal use only. Credit

must be given to the publisher. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written

permission of the publisher.ISSN 1552-8383

SubscriptionsSubscriptions to Southwest Hydrology are free. To receive

the magazine, contact us as shown below.

AdvertisingAdvertising rates, sizes, and contracts are available at

www.swhydro.arizona.edu. Please direct ad inquiries to us as shown below. Space must be reserved 50 days

prior to publication date.

Free Job AnnouncementsSouthwest Hydrology will publish job announcements in the Employment Opportunities section. The first 70 words for each announcement is free; after that, the

charge is $70 per additional 70 words. To place an ad, contact us as shown below. All announcements, of any

length, may be posted on our website for no charge (www.swhydro.arizona.edu).

Editorial ContributionSouthwest Hydrology welcomes letters and contributions

of news, project summaries, product announcements, and items for The Calendar. Send submissions by mail

or email as shown below. Visit www.swhydro.arizona.edu for additional guidelines for submissions.

Web SitesSouthwest Hydrology - www.swhydro.arizona.edu

SAHRA - www.sahra.arizona.edu

CONTACT USSouthwest Hydrology

The University of Arizona, SAHRAPO Box 210158-B, Tucson, AZ 85721-0158.

Phone 520-626-1805. Email mail@swhydro.arizona.edu.

Scott Anderson Janick F. ArtiolaMatthew BaileyJohn L. Boyer

Daniel J. Collins

Stephen J. CullenAmy HardbergerSusan D. Hovorka

Joel E. KimmelshueBruce J. KobelskiRichard J. Myhre

This publication is supported by SAHRA (Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas) under the STC Program of the National Science Foundation, Agreement No. EAR-9876800. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of SAHRA or of the National Science Foundation.

Publishing Southwest Hydrology furthers SAHRA’s mission of promoting sustainable management of water resources in semi-arid

The MidwestGeological Sequestration Consortium’s Illinois Basin-Decatur site in Decatur, Illinois. Drilling of the ~7,000-foot-deep CO2 injection well began Feb. 14, 2009 and was completed May 4, 2009. Photo by Daniel Byers for MGSC.

Patricia R. PfeifferGregory SchnaarDennis H. Shirley

Jeffrey C. SilvertoothMarian Stone

The chart of nitrate-N concentration versus time on page 24of the July/August 2009 issue of Southwest Hydrology had the x-axis labeled incorrectly. The correct version is shown here.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Aug-04 Feb-05 Sept-05 Mar-06 Oct-06 Apr-07 Nov-07 Jun-08 Dec-08

Nitr

ate-

N C

onc.

(mg/

l)

MW10a MW-5 MW-2 Mesquite MWMW-1 NP-2 MW-3 NP-3

ADEQ MCL for Nitrates

Correction

4 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 | Southwest Hydrology

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Inside This Issue

Departments8 On the Ground

■ Mine water used for irrigation, byJeffrey C. Silvertooth, Janick F. Artiola, and Joel E. Kimmelshue

■ ADDing Water for Central Arizona, by Matthew Bailey

12 Government ■ Revised review process for uranium ISR

■ NM limits H2O rights condemnation

■ ASARCO must clean El Paso GW

■ NV pipeline hearing postponed

■ CO requires water permits for CBM drilling

■ Fish show pollution in CA lakes

■ SoCal rebate demand exceeds supply

■ Releases invigorate Black Canyon flows

■ Pesticides to be tested for endocrine disruption

■ Animas-La Plata is finally filling

■ EPA reforms IRIS

12 HydroFacts

32 R&D ■ Rock snot blown away by streambed

movement

■ Lake Tahoe depths explored

■ Personalized water budgets tested in SoCal

■ Saltcedar beetles remotely sensed

■ Humpback chub numbers up

■ Bubble curtains help guide salmon

■ Nanomaterial water risks explored

■ Blocs block CO River adaptive management

37 The Water Page

38 People & Companies ■ Golder acquires E&H

■ CH2M HILL lauded for Rio Salado

■ Breslin takes helm of Water for People

39 In Print & Online ■ Gleick joins the blogosphere

■ Reference for new and pending regulations

■ Water recycling not catching fire in CA

■ CA’s coastal future

■ Special issue addresses emerging contaminants

■ A global view of water-quality trading

■ Isotopes predict contaminant degradation

■ Tool calculates water footprint

39 Business Directory

42 Calendar

18 Opportunities for Carbon Capture and Geologic Storage

Richard J. Myhre and Marian Stone

Carbon dioxide capture and geologic storage is being touted as a means of substantially reducing the amount of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere by the industrial and energy-supply sectors. New research is examining the feasibility of large-scale projects and the associated energy and eff ort required to separate CO2 from fuel or exhaust gases, pipe it to a suitable geological formation, and keep it immobilized and confi ned.

20 The Hydrology of Geologic Sequestration

Gregory Schnaar and Stephen J. Cullen

What makes a good geologic sequestration site? Finding a subsurface “trap” is critical but not easy when looking thousands of feet underground. Once a potential location is found, modeling can help predict what might happen to CO2 injected there. But ultimately, if the site is used, careful monitoring is the best tool for measuring successful sequestration.

22 Managing the Risks of CO2 Sequestration

Amy Hardberger and Scott Anderson

Th e primary risks of carbon capture and sequestration are leakage through unplugged wells, faults, fractures, or caprock to the earth’s surface or to drinking-water aquifers. Th ese risks can be managed with solid assessments of possible migration patterns, identifi cation of sites with suitable geology for storage, and sound state and federal regulation and monitoring.

24 Regulating Geologic Sequestration of CO2

Patricia R. Pfeiffer and Bruce J. Kobelski

Th e U.S. EPA regulates all underground injections in order to protect drinking-water aquifers, but the injection of CO2 calls for new guidelines. Proposed rules take into account the physical and chemical characteristics of CO2, such as its buoyancy and potentially corrosive nature, as well as the likely magnitude of its pressure front underground. Other issues under discussion include fi nancial responsibility, long-term liability, and use and ownership of the reserves.

26 Frio Brine Pilot: The First U.S. Sequestration Test

Susan D. Hovorka

What was learned in the past about the carbon capture and storage process was based on storage in reservoirs from which hydrocarbons had been extracted. But if widespread sequestration is to occur, storage in previously unperturbed formations also will be needed. Th e Frio Brine Pilot Study near the Texas coast was the fi rst in the country to inject CO2 into such a site, composed of brine-bearing sandstone.

28 Exploring Geologic CO2 Storage in Arizona

Dennis H. Shirley, Daniel J. Collins,and John L. Boyer

Demand for electricity in Arizona is predicted to double in the next 20 years. In an area rich in both generating plants and coal deposits on the Colorado Plateau, a well site has been chosen to evaluate the potential for storing CO2 emitted in power generation. Th e demonstration project will inject and monitor the CO2 plume, measure changes in water chemistry, and estimate the amount of CO2 that dissolves or becomes immobilized.

CO2 SequestrationThe supercritical state of CO2 in the subsurface has fluid-like behavior, thus many aspects of hydrology apply to its sequestration. A good candidate storage site, often identified with the help of multi-phase flow modeling, has sufficient porosity to accommodate the volumes of CO2 being injected and low-permeability caprock to prevent its escape. Monitoring through wells, geophysics, and surface measurements is used to determine if any leakage is occurring. If CO2 does escape, it could reach drinking-water aquifers and impact water quality, or it could migrate to the surface, thereby defeating the purpose of sequestration. Regulations to minimize the risks of CO2 sequestration are in development, and pilot projects to test the process are underway across the country, including in the Southwest.

6 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 | Southwest Hydrology