Tuesday, April 1, 2008 : 10:40 a.m.

Water Management Options Analysis Using a MODFLOW Ground Water Flow Model for the Sonoma Valley Ground Water Management Plan

James Jasperse, PE, PG1, Michelle Yeh2, William Keene1 and Timothy K. Parker, PG, CEG, CHG2, (1)Sonoma County Water Agency, (2)Schlumberger Water Services

When developing a plan for the future management of groundwater resources, an evaluation of the predicted future water balance under different water management scenarios can provide valuable insight on the potential benefit of each option, assisting in the prioritization of the water management options considered.  For the Groundwater Management Plan developed for the Sonoma Valley located in Sonoma County, California, a water budget analysis was performed using the MODFLOW ground water flow model previously developed by the United States Geological Survey for the basin.  The basin has been experiencing increasing stresses on its groundwater resources in recent years due to significant population growth and land-use changes, most notably an increase in agriculture dominated by vineyards.  Groundwater meets more than half of the water demand in the basin, with irrigation being the largest use drawing on more than 70 percent of the groundwater supply in year 2000. 

 

The water budget analysis for the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Plan was performed with the objective of evaluating the relative benefit of four water management options under alternative water availability and climate scenarios.  Twelve scenarios were run on the USGS model from 2001 through 2030, each consisting of a combination of stormwater recharge, groundwater banking, increased conservation, and recycled water use water management options under wet or dry year conditions, and increased or limited imported water supply.  The results were evaluated by comparing the predicted change in storage over the 30-year simulation period. 

 

The results of the analysis demonstrated that all four water management options considered contribute to and are necessary for the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources in the basin.  By providing a quantitative analysis of potential future conditions, the water budget analysis was an essential tool for substantiating the need for active groundwater management in the basin.

James Jasperse, PE, PG, Sonoma County Water Agency Jay Jasperse is Chief Deputy Engineer of Energy and Resource Planning for the Sonoma County Water Agency, California. Mr. Jasperse is a registered civil engineer and has been with the Agency since 1998. Prior to joining the Agency, he worked as an environmental engineering consultant specializing in groundwater characterization and design of remediation systems. Mr. Jasperse received a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the University of California at Davis and master's degree in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Jasperse is an active member of the National Groundwater Association and American Chemical Society.

Michelle Yeh, Schlumberger Water Services Michelle Yeh joined Schlumberger Water Services four years ago and has been working as a hydrogeologist in the characterization and simulation of groundwater aquifers. Ms. Yeh is experienced in the use of traditional groundwater modeling software as well as modeling tools newly adapted from the oilfield industry. Prior to joining Schlumberger Water Services, Ms. Yeh worked with an environmental consulting firm providing environmental and compliance services for industrial facilities. She holds an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Timothy K. Parker, PG, CEG, CHG, Schlumberger Water Services Mr. Parker is a Principal Hydrogeologist with Schlumberger Water Services in Sacramento where he is working to assist adapting Schlumberger’s advanced oilfield subsurface characterization tools and technologies to the groundwater industry . Mr. Parker is currently a Director, Legislative Committee Chair, and Past President of the Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA); Director of the American Ground Water Trust; and serves as a Director on the AGWSE Division, NGWA. He is a California Professional Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, and Certified Hydrogeologist. Mr. Parker co-authored the book “California Groundwater Management’, second edition published by GRA in 2005.


2008 Ground Water Summit