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Use of multivariate modeling to estimate impacts of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow for the Camas Creek basin. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1419-08 Item Info

The conjunctive use of surface and groundwater has been recognized as posing significant water rights issues in many of the Idaho river basins. Increases in groundwater pumping rates, primarily for irrigation, have led to changes in surface streamflow, affecting previously allocated surface water rights. However, the magnitude of this effect and its variability over time remain difficult to estimate. The primary objective of this study was to develop a multivariate monthly flow model for Camas Creek, based on stream flows in neighboring basins, and to test whether such a model is sensitive enough to detect, at some statistical level of significance, any streamflow changes that may have resulted from groundwater withdrawals. Monthly streamflow records from Camas Creek and three similar neighboring basins were used to develop a multivariate monthly streamflow model of Camas Creek. Model parameters were based on the recorded statistics for the record period common to groundwater development within the Camas Creek basin. The model was developed and tested for its ability to adequately reproduce the historic pre-irrigation time series for Camas Creek. Then the model was applied to the time period in which significant groundwater withdrawals occurred. A comparison of the modeled streamflow with the actual flows for this period was used to estimate the impacts of groundwater pumping on monthly, seasonal, and annual streamflows. The differences between the two time series were related to the history of groundwater development within the basin. Although the model appeared to simulate the overall historic time series reasonably well, its performance varied by month and season. The application of the model to the time period in which the Camas Creek basin groundwater withdrawals were significant produced a simulated record with lower streamflows than those observed. This may be attributed to the fact that most of the large wells have pumped from deep aquifers, with no connection to the surface stream aquifers.

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Title:
Use of multivariate modeling to estimate impacts of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow for the Camas Creek basin. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1419-08
Authors:
Horn, Dennis; Jeong, Sangman
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1989-05
Description:
The conjunctive use of surface and groundwater has been recognized as posing significant water rights issues in many of the Idaho river basins. Increases in groundwater pumping rates, primarily for irrigation, have led to changes in surface streamflow, affecting previously allocated surface water rights. However, the magnitude of this effect and its variability over time remain difficult to estimate. The primary objective of this study was to develop a multivariate monthly flow model for Camas Creek, based on stream flows in neighboring basins, and to test whether such a model is sensitive enough to detect, at some statistical level of significance, any streamflow changes that may have resulted from groundwater withdrawals. Monthly streamflow records from Camas Creek and three similar neighboring basins were used to develop a multivariate monthly streamflow model of Camas Creek. Model parameters were based on the recorded statistics for the record period common to groundwater development within the Camas Creek basin. The model was developed and tested for its ability to adequately reproduce the historic pre-irrigation time series for Camas Creek. Then the model was applied to the time period in which significant groundwater withdrawals occurred. A comparison of the modeled streamflow with the actual flows for this period was used to estimate the impacts of groundwater pumping on monthly, seasonal, and annual streamflows. The differences between the two time series were related to the history of groundwater development within the basin. Although the model appeared to simulate the overall historic time series reasonably well, its performance varied by month and season. The application of the model to the time period in which the Camas Creek basin groundwater withdrawals were significant produced a simulated record with lower streamflows than those observed. This may be attributed to the fact that most of the large wells have pumped from deep aquifers, with no connection to the surface stream aquifers.
Subjects:
Groundwater availability Conjunctive use Groundwater Streamflow Streamflow depletion Irrigation Water management
Location:
Camas Creek Basin; Southern Idaho
Latitude:
43.34
Longitude:
-114.4
Collection:
Boise Basin
Series:
Water for Idaho
IWRRI number:
198902
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
Publisher:
Idaho Water Resources Research Institute; University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
KIT
Date Digitized:
2017-09-11

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Source
Preferred Citation:
"Use of multivariate modeling to estimate impacts of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow for the Camas Creek basin. Research technical completion report, 14-08-0001-G1419-08", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-198902.html
Rights
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
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