CITRIS 2011

Intelligent Water Infrastructure Initiative - IWII

Groundwater Initiative

Goals:• Accomplish first-rate research on groundwater hydrology:

infiltration, recharge, storage and water quality changes• End-to-End a Groundwater Resource Information &

Technology Network to improve resource management• Front-end: Managed Aquifer Recharge Network (MARNet)

sensing system prototypes• Back-end: Intelligent data storage, analysis and resource

management system

USGS PP #1766

CITRIS 2011

Rationale Population and climate change

projections point to changing snow pack (key annual storage)

Increasing surface impoundments is costly, impractical; good sites are taken, political challenges, env. impacts

California groundwater is consistently over-drafted, especially in dry years, yet provides the best option for new supply

Our understanding of when and where recharge occurs is vague

Data from DWR’s California Water Plan Update (2009)

CITRIS 2011

Scientific Challenges

Connection between surface water infiltration and groundwater recharge is not well understood Large time scales for groundwater basins (hard to observe) Heterogeneity of subsurface challenging to characterize Simulation models difficult to validate and maintain

Recharge and GW storage require local assessment Each basin is different, local collaboration needed Connections between SW-GW, water supply and quality

California lacks statewide statutory structure As enshrined in state constitution, groundwater is mostly unmanaged Individual basins have to develop customized approaches based on local

hydrology, climate, costs, politics

CITRIS 2011

Technical Challenge: Cyber-infrastructure

Sensor systems are being demonstrated in isolated pilot studies, and a physical MARNet monitoring network is feasible

Creating a transferrable system will require common: Sensors and deployment methods Data and metadata standards First-order and near-real time analyses (e.g. raw data flux) Simulation modeling approaches

Integrating software environment Data archiving, cleaning, gap-filling, resampling Model calibration, validation, forecasting (including automation) Systems analysis: optimal water resource management tools

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MARNet Mission• Technology for rapid, accurate

assessment of groundwater resource changes

• In/outflow, ET, infiltration, recharge, groundwater migration

• Intensively instrumented model sites distributed throughout California (and other water stressed regions of the world)

• Automated data visualization, analysis• Render groundwater resource management easy

and transparent

• Replicate this model locally and integrate regionally to provide an exemplary resource managemetn network

• Varying geography, hydrogeology, land use, etc.

• Explore natural and engineered infiltration-recharge

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Sensor system conceptual diagram A multi-scale design of local mesh network(s) and cellular/satellite gateway(s) High granularity pressure/depth, flow, temperature, salinity, soil moisture, and meteorological parameters Low granularity water quality sensors, and supporting sampling program

adapted from

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Potential partners, pilots and funding strategies

Establish management partners first based on established relationships, desire for collaboration Not all districts/municipalities want outside help – focus on a

few type locations where we can make rapid progress, demonstrate success

Identify regional partners so that UC personnel can be on site a lot – required to establish commitment, gain trust, design and maintain proper networks, work with locals on adjusting operations, take advantage of opportunities

Work with a variety of management units, from large systems that are part of statewide transfers (e.g., KWB) to smaller basins that are “off the grid” and managing their resources independently (e.g., PVWMA).

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Next Steps

Achieve state support of the idea that an information infrastructure is a critical element of the State Water Plan with respect to groundwater monitoring

Build a public-private consortium to fund the development of a prototype system by 2015

Build political support for continued funding of water supply intelligent infrastructure investment by California

Establish partnerships to begin discussion and collaboration, move forward where/when possible

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Current research assets

Four prototype data collection systems: Sierra Nevada Snowpack project (Southern Sierra Critical Zone

Observatory, American River Observatory) led by Profs. Roger Bales, UCM, and Steven Glaser, UCB

Coastal Aquifer Recharge projects led by Prof Andrew Fisher, UCSCDelta Drifter project led by Prof. Alex Bayen, UCBDelta Levee Safety project led by Prof. Ray Seed, UCB

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Real-time monitoring of Managed Aquifer Recharge

The Problem: GW recharge is highly variable in space and timeThe Goal: Determine patterns of recharge in real time to assist with operations of MAR systems.

The Solution: • Heat is used as a tracer to map out

timing and locations of infiltration• Water quality assessed in percolation

pond and monitoring wells• Data telemetered back to base station

in real time, posted at web site for rapid assessment and analysis of infiltration

Water is diverted from nearby wetland, infiltrates into underlying aquifer

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IWII Groundwater TeamSteven Glaser, Faculty Director, BerkeleyAndrew Fisher, Santa CruzGraham Fogg, DavisTom Harmon, Merced