Echo Meadow ProjectWinter Artificial Recharge to Cool Rivers

BPA PROJECT# 2001-015-002001 Progress and Status

IRZ Consulting & EngineeringHermiston, Oregon

Goals of Echo Meadows ProjectTo significantly reduce river temperature by applying cold recharge water during the winter period of 2002 and 2003. Monitor and verify that winter artificial recharge can significantly cool rivers and streams. Verify if this method is cost effective, can meet the temperature standards of CWA, as well as determine if this method can be transferred to other river basins.

Problem

Most rivers in the Northwest do not meet CWA temperature standards. Planting trees to shade streams is most commonly used to address high river temperature, but shading alone is not an effective way to reduce river temperatures to meet CWA standards. To-date, few realistic river temperature cooling projects have been proposed. The Echo Meadows Project, which utilizes winter groundwater recharge to augment stream flow in the summer period has the potential to address this problem.

Benefits of Echo Meadows ProjectCan significantly reduce river temperature to meet or nearly meet the CWA temperature standard.Water recharged into groundwater will reach a constant temperature of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit when discharging into a river.The return flow to rivers can be timed to coincide with critical low flow/high temperature period of the year.Adds large quantity of water to the rivers during the critical low flow.The return flow water creates a natural riparian zone vegetation along the stream banks.This project can be easily transferred and duplicated in other BasinsIt is simple; It is inexpensive; It does not conflict with other users. It may help resolve many water conflicts throughout the Northwest

Objective and Tasks

14 Distinct Objectives51 Tasks for each year

Past Efforts

Baseline Analysis & Data Collection2001

BPA =est. $250,000

Matching Funds, Pre-Baseline1998-2000

USBR=$21,000Oregon DEQ=$25,000Columbia Water Trust=$75,000

2001 Baseline Data Collection

Installed & Monitoring Network11 Monitoring Wells5 Piezometers wells8 Soil moisture monitoring sites4 River temperature sites5 Drains

Monitoring

Groundwater depthHourly and Weekly

Water QualityWeekly=indicator, Quarterly=complete

Groundwater Hydrological TestRiver

Temperature and Water Quality

Monitoring

Three Aerial Thermal Infrared Survey of the Umatilla River Aerial Infrared of Landmass

Study results

Diversion historyWater rights (groundwater)Reduced summer streamflow

Echo Meadows DiversionsEcho Meadows Historic Diversions

0.0

5000.0

10000.0

15000.0

20000.0

25000.0

1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

Ac/

ft Series15 per. Mov. Avg. (Series1)

Summer-time stream flows

cfs

History of return Flows

-10.00

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00cf

s

Nov-84 Aug-87 May-90 Jan-93 Oct-95 Jul-98

Echo Meadows Return Flows

Monitoring 2001

Water levelsPump testsWater quality

GroundwaterSurface water

Groundwater level monitoring

Prior Well Water Level

0 .00

1.00

2 .00

3 .00

4 .00

5.0 0

6 .00

7.0 0

8 .00

7/27/01 12 :00 AM 8 /10 /01 12 :00 AM 8 /2 4 /01 12 :00 AM 9 /7/01 12 :00 AM

D A TE & TIM E

IrrigationIrrigation

Pump tests in 2001EMDMPW-3 Pump Test

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.10 1.00 10.00 100.00 1000.00 10000.00

Time in minutes

Dra

wdo

wn

Series1

Series2

Groundwater quality

1034000.00 1038000.00 1042000.00 1046000.00

16264000.00

16266000.00

16268000.00

16270000.00

16272000.00

16274000.00

16276000.00

16278000.00

16280000.00

Groundwater temperature in Meadows

Application rates and return flowPercent of Return Flow and Application Rate

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Year

Pere

cnt

Per.Ret.

App/10

Echo

5 per. Mov. Avg. (Per.Ret.)

5 per. Mov. Avg. (App/10)

Diversion

Return Flow

Model Heads vs Observed

Model

Observed

Model PredictionsUmatilla Recharge

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Days

c.f.s

. Without

With

Conclusions

Increased recharge will increase summer stream flows(est. 100%)Groundwater quality better (very cold, nutrient and bacteria free) or equal to (pH, conductivity) surface waterWill be able to measure improvements at end of project

Conclusions

FONZITrial application

Model calibration& Timing PredictionFebruary 2002-March 2002

Recharge ApplicationDecember 2002, Jan,Feb 2003