Geology topics

Libby M. Wildermuth

Publications and source records attributed to Libby M. Wildermuth.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Groundwater response to managed aquifer recharge at the Southeast Houghton Artificial Recharge Project in Tucson, Arizona

Managed aquifer recharge is a widespread practice for storing water in the subsurface as groundwater. At a managed aquifer recharge facility in southern Arizona, groundwater-level and repeat microgravity data were collected to monitor aquifer response. These data were used to inform parameter identification for an unsaturated-zone flow model used to simulate the recharge process. The facility, the Southeast Houghton Artificial Recharge Project (SHARP), consists of 3 surface basins (about 27,600 square meters [6.8 acres] total surface area) where recycled water is distributed in recharge cycles lasting several months, with dry periods in between. During the study period, December 2020–December 2022, Tucson Water (the City of Tucson’s water utility) reported 6.56×10 6 cubic meters of water (5,320 acre-feet) recharged. Monitoring included groundwater-level observations at 3 monitoring wells and repeat microgravity measurements at as many as 22 locations (some stations were destroyed between surveys). Six gravity surveys were carried out using absolute- and relative-gravity meters. Large gravity increases, more than 250 microgals, were observed during the first repeat survey, 3.5 months after the start of recharge, but only in the immediate vicinity of the recharge basins. Data show that water moved downward to the water table, and storage changes in the unsaturated zone away from the facility were likely minimal. Gravity decreased at stations more than 1 kilometer from the facility, consistent with regional groundwater-level changes. Groundwater-level increases in wells adjacent to the recharge basins began 2 months after the second repeat gravity survey, and 5.5 months after recharge began. Unsaturated-zone flow modeling was carried out using software that simulates water movement and parameter estimation. Model calibration was carried out by minimizing an objective function calculated from the differences between simulated and observed groundwater levels, and between simulated and observed repeat microgravity data. Including repeat microgravity data in the objective function reduced the uncertainty in estimated parameter values for saturated hydraulic conductivity and saturated water content. Modeling indicated that the unsaturated zone between the recharge basins and the water table does not become saturated even after 685 days of simulated infiltration. This gradual wetting may account for increasing infiltration rates over time, as hydraulic conductivity increases with increasing water content. Unsaturated-zone water content decreased rapidly between recharge cycles. Model-simulated groundwater mounding extended about 1 kilometer from the center of SHARP after the 685-day period following the onset of recharge.

Arizona↗

USGS2024

Monitoring aquifer-storage change from artificial recharge with repeat microgravity along Santa Cruz River, Tucson, Arizona, 2019–22

The City of Tucson water utility, Tucson Water, began releasing treated effluent into the Santa Cruz River channel near downtown Tucson in 2019. This recharge project—the Heritage Project—is intended to create a reach of consistent flow in the channel and recharge water to the aquifer. Tracking the dispersal of recharged water is important for management decisions because groundwater movement depends on spatially variable characteristics of the subsurface and cannot be fully predicted in advance. Groundwater-level measurements in wells are useful, but the relation between water storage and groundwater-level change depends on the unknown storage coefficient of the aquifer. To estimate storage changes caused by recharge of reclaimed effluent released into the channel for the Heritage Project, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected repeat microgravity data along the Santa Cruz River in Tucson, Arizona, from 2019 to 2022. This method augments groundwater-level monitoring by providing a direct quantitative measurement of changes in the quantity of water stored in the subsurface. Preliminary results of the monitoring through 2022 showed consistent storage increases only near and upstream from the Heritage Project outfall site. Initially high storage increases at some locations west of the channel and in line with Sentinel Peak reached roughly steady state in later times. North of Sentinel Peak, a storage increase from 2020 to 2021 was followed by a storage decrease from 2021 to 2022. Storage changes in the area north of Sentinel Peak appear to be related to the number of days flows in the channel were observed farther downstream from the outfall site (at USGS streamgage 09482500). This observation is likely due to the potential formation of a clogging layer that would allow surface water to disperse farther horizontally (downstream) before infiltrating. This phenomenon has been observed downstream of other recharged effluent projects and has been reduced by large flows in the channel, such as those occurring during large runoff events. There were no large or consistent storage increases near the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF) sites included in this study area.

Arizona↗

USGS2023

Determining seasonal recharge, storage changes, and specific yield using repeat microgravity and water-level measurements in the Mesilla Basin alluvial aquifer, New Mexico, 2016–2018

Increasing water demand and multi-year drought conditions within the Mesilla/Conejos-Médanos Basin near the New Mexico-Texas- Chihuahua border have resulted in diminished surface-water supplies and increased groundwater withdrawals. To better understand recharge to the shallow aquifer, the spatial and temporal groundwater storage changes, and the variability of specific yield (Sy) in the aquifer, seasonal groundwater elevation and repeat microgravity measurements were made during the irrigation release and non-release seasons of 2016, 2017, and 2018 at a network of locations near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The data collected during this investigation were able to capture seasonal change in groundwater elevations and storage from various sources of recharge at multiple sites in the shallow aquifer. Seasonal recharge in the study area was attributed to streamflow, the application and conveyance of irrigation water, and large or sustained precipitation events. However, increasing groundwater gradients in recent decades between piezometers close to the river and those more than a kilometer from the river suggests that recharge from river seepage has become localized at the seasonal scale. Overall, there was a net increase in storage of almost 8.4 cubic hectometers in the study reach between the start and end of the study, largely following the increased surface-water availability and above average precipitation in 2017. Specific yield, estimated by comparing the groundwater-level changes and storage changes at six sites in the study area, ranged from 0.14 (+/− 0.05) to 0.30 (+/− 0.06), which is slightly greater than previously reported estimates (0.10 to 0.25), but still within the error of the estimates. Most of the variability in the estimated storage change, that was not well-correlated with groundwater elevation change, is thought to be from soil moisture in the unsaturated zone. This investigation demonstrates the value of adding repeat microgravity measurements to conventional groundwater monitoring to better understand the sources and extent of recharge as well as the variability of Sy in the aquifer. Continued monitoring, under a variety of available surface water and meteorological conditions, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the water budget and reduce the specific yield estimation uncertainty. Evaluating water-levels and storage conditions prior to, and following, local recharge events may help managers identify threshold conditions for aquifer storage depletions and recoveries.

New Mexico↗

USGS2022

Gravity surveys for estimating possible width of enhanced porosity zones across structures on the Coconino Plateau, Coconino County, north-central Arizona

The U.S. Geological Survey completed gravity transects in 2015, 2018, and 2019 over four features: the Bright Angel Fault, Bright Angel Monocline, Tusayan Graben, and Redlands Ranch Fault Zone in the Coconino Plateau, Coconino County, Arizona, to determine if the existence and width of high porosity (low density) zones could be inferred from the resulting gravity contrasts, which could be used to update groundwater models of the region. Faults and other geological structures in the Coconino Plateau are commonly thought to play a role in the movement of groundwater in the area, but limited data exist to constrain their influence. Some groundwater models of the region have used zones of enhanced permeability and porosity along or near features to model their effect on groundwater flow but have not shown sensitivity to the width of the zones used. Enhanced porosity zones in the subsurface, such as those included along or near features in some groundwater models of the region, could create small mass deficiencies detectable by microgravity methods. However, 3 of the 4 gravity transects, the Bright Angel Fault, Bright Angel Monocline, and Tusayan Graben, showed no negative gravity anomaly over the features that could indicate the presence of a low-density zone. Only the Redlands Ranch Fault Zone that had nearby collapse features showed a negative gravity anomaly that was modeled as a zone of 0.017 increased porosity about 800 meters wide, corresponding to the relative dimension and enhanced porosity used in groundwater models of the area. This study was unable to verify the existence of enhanced porosity zones at the selected locations along the other features. However, faults and other features may affect groundwater flow in different ways at different locations, and this work does not preclude the existence of enhanced porosity zones at other places along these faults.

Arizona↗

USGS2022

Improving groundwater model calibration with repeat microgravity measurements

Groundwater-flow models depend on hydraulic head and flux observations for evaluation and calibration. A different type of observation—change in storage measured using repeat microgravity—can also be used for parameter estimation by simulating the expected change in gravity from a groundwater model and including the observation misfit in the objective function. The method is demonstrated using new software linked to MODFLOW input and output files and field data from the vicinity of the All American Canal in southeast California, USA. Over a 10-year period following lining of the previously highly permeable canal with concrete, gravity decreased by over 100 μGal (equivalent to about 2.5 m of free-standing water) at some locations as seepage decreased and the remnant groundwater mound dissipated into the aquifer or was removed by groundwater pumping. Simulated gravity from a MODFLOW model closely matched observations, and repeat microgravity data proved useful for constraining both hydraulic conductivity and specific yield estimates. Specific yield estimated using the infinite-horizontal slab approximation agreed well with model-derived values, and the departure from the linear, flat-water-table approximation was small, less than 2%, despite relatively large and dynamic water-table slope. First-order second-moment parameter uncertainty analysis shows reduction in uncertainty for all hydraulic conductivity and specific yield parameter estimates with the addition of repeat microgravity data, as compared to drawdown data alone.

California↗

USGS2019

Aquifer storage change and storage properties, 2010–2017, in the Big Chino Subbasin, Yavapai County, Arizona

The Big Chino Subbasin is a groundwater basin that includes the Verde River headwaters in Yavapai County in north-central Arizona. Groundwater in the southern part of the subbasin is found primarily in the Big Chino and Williamson Valleys. The former is a potential municipal water source for growing communities in Yavapai County, particularly groundwater from the Big Chino Water Ranch, about 15 miles northwest of the community of Paulden. Groundwater in the Big Chino Valley discharges to wells (by pumping), by evapotranspiration, and to the upper Verde River springs, which form the headwaters of the Verde River. Groundwater also discharges to short perennial reaches of Williamson Valley Wash, Walnut Creek, and a small number of small, ungaged springs and seeps. To monitor changes in groundwater storage and to identify aquifer-storage properties, a network of repeat microgravity stations and groundwater-level monitoring stations was established in the Big Chino and Williamson Valleys in 2010. Small decreases in groundwater storage were observed throughout the study area from 2010 to 2017. Annual groundwater withdrawals for agricultural use varied between 2,800 and 4,000 acre-ft between 2013 and 2016, with an additional amount, probably less than 1,000 acre-ft, withdrawn for domestic use, primarily in the Paulden and Williamson Valley Wash areas. No local recharge events from sustained rainfall were observed during 2010 to 2017, and base-flow discharge in the Verde River near Paulden and Williamson Valley Wash near Paulden was consistently below the long-term average (for years 1964 to 2017 and 1966 to 2017, respectively) at each site. Relations between groundwater-level changes and aquifer-storage changes (determined from repeat microgravity data) indicate monitoring wells are representative primarily of semiconfined aquifer conditions in the Paulden area, the area west of Big Chino Wash, and the Big Chino Water Ranch area. Unconfined aquifer conditions are monitored in the Williamson Valley Wash area and at two sites in the Paulden area. Specific yield was estimated at five wells and ranged between 0.04 and 0.34, with a median value of 0.23. Negative groundwater-level trends (increasing depth to water) were observed between 2010 and 2017 at all sites where trends were identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, except for the northernmost reaches of Big Chino Wash within and to the north of the Big Chino Water Ranch. Groundwater storage trends were negative at all sites where trends were identified except for one site in the foothills of the Santa Maria mountains west of Big Chino Wash. Declining storage in the Big Chino Water Ranch area, where water levels show no trend or are increasing, are likely the result of drying conditions in the unsaturated zone and (or) aquifers located above the aquifer(s) monitored by wells.

Arizona↗

USGS2018

Groundwater-storage change and land-surface elevation change in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley, south-central Arizona--2003-2016

The U.S. Geological Survey monitors groundwater-storage change and land-surface elevation change caused by groundwater withdrawal in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley—the two most populated alluvial basins within the Tucson Active Management Area. The Tucson Active Management Area is one of five active management areas in Arizona established by the 1980 Groundwater Management Act and governed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Gravity and land-surface elevation change were monitored every 1 to 3 years at wells and benchmarks in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley from 2003 to 2016. Monitoring resulted in estimates of land-surface elevation change and groundwater-storage change. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) interferograms showing land-surface elevation change were constructed for the Tucson metropolitan area from (1) May 2003 to July 2006, (2) July 2006 to June 2008, (3) June 2008 to April 2011, (4) April 2011 to November 2014, and (5) November 2014 to March 2016. For the Tucson metropolitan area, maximum subsidence of about 2 inches occurred during May 2003 to July 2006. From July 2006 to June 2008, maximum subsidence of approximately 0.8 inches occurred in two regions in the Tucson metropolitan area. From June 2008 to April 2011, about 0.8 inches of subsidence also occurred in two regions. Additionally, for the period April 2011 to November 2014, a maximum of about 0.9 inches of subsidence occurred in the same two regions of Tucson Basin. For the entire monitoring period from May 2003 to March 2016, maximum subsidence of as much as 5.3 inches occurred in the Tucson metropolitan area south of Irvington Road between south 12th Avenue and south Park Avenue, and as much as 4 inches in central Tucson south of Broadway between Country Club Road and Craycroft Road. The InSAR data indicated that there was no significant land-surface deformation from 2003 to 2016 in Avra Valley, and no change in either basin from 2014 to 2016. The volume of stored groundwater in the monitored part of Tucson Basin showed net zero change from spring 2003 to summer 2006. From summer 2006 to summer 2008 the volume of stored groundwater in the monitored part of Tucson Basin increased approximately 50,000 acre-feet; however, overdraft conditions resumed from summer 2008 to spring 2011, resulting in decreased storage of approximately 178,000 acre-feet. From spring 2011 to fall 2014, the volume of stored groundwater in Tucson Basin decreased about 200,000 acre-feet, following a period of lower than average rainfall in 2012 and 2013. The volume of stored groundwater in the monitored part of Tucson Basin increased approximately 167,000 acre-feet from fall 2014 to spring 2016. Groundwater storage in Avra Valley increased during the entire monitoring period from spring 2003 to spring 2016, largely as a result of managed recharge of Central Arizona Project water in the monitored region. From 2003 to 2016, artificial recharge in Avra Valley totaled approximately 1,788,000 acre-feet, and in Tucson Basin artificial recharge for the entire period was about 636,790 acre-feet. Artificial recharge exceeded pumping in Avra Valley for each time interval. Pumping in Tucson Basin exceeded artificial recharge for every period except 2014 to 2016. Overall, long-term water-level declines have stabilized or reversed since 2000 at most areas in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley.

Arizona↗