Page 2 Underground water (continued from page 1) quantity of this water is stored where it is needed most, in the sand and gravel deposits which underlie the population centers along the Wasatch Front, including the Ogden area. These deposits constitute our ground water reservoirs, termed aquifers by iscientists. This water occurs in the tiny open spaces between particles of sand and gravel, not in underground rivers or large lake-size openings in Chairman _ _ At the o table of e mving bet forth with likely out country ¢ the subsurface. The quantity of water in these aquifers is difficult to determine with any exactness, but scientists believe that it exceeds by several times over the quantity of water stored in Utah’s surface reservoirs. In addition, these underground reservoirs created by natural geologic processes do not fose water by evaporation, they have no dams to fail, no valuable surface property to be excluded from other uses, no initial large investment is needed to build them and they do not silt up with time. The conclusions summarized above concerning our supply of groundwater have been documented by onths. V such ss sf disregarde help shape new year directly or ankly a imembers we are nev ime to tim ine econon luring tha eferred | ‘ future.”’ Li S the sum reports published by Federal, state and University scientists who have conducted studies in Utah. But, because most people do not read this type of report and because this water is hidden from view, the general public is unaware of the magnitude and importance of this vast potential supply of water. The water in our aquifers fits into two categories. The first category consists of the quantity of water that is added to, and removed from the aquifer every year as natural recharge and discharge of the aquifer system. The second category consists of a much larger quantity that has been stored in the aquifer for thousands of years. The first category can be compared to a_ person’s monthly paycheck; the second category would be comparable to a bank vault completely filled with money after years of making bank deposits. The first category of ground water is added to the aquifer every year by seepage into the ground from the beds of streams and from precipitation directly on the recharge areas. When the aquifer system is in its natural state, usually the same amount that enters it each year also leaves it by discharging into Great Salt Lake or emerging as springs or in marshes along the edges of the lake. Much of this water could be intercepted by wells and used by man without reducing the amount of the water stored in the basin. (The situation would be analogous to putting money in the already full bank storage vault; in order to put some in, you have to take some out). During 1975, water levels in the region between Bountiful and Brigham City rose despite pumping from wells in the region. This indicates that during that period of time more water entered the aquifer than was discharged from it for the year. Only when the pumpage and the resulting reduced natural discharge from the aquifer equals the annual and| Directo Econo year 1977. | ve have a growth ex tah. CON Dr. E. Fred Pashley overlooks natural recharge area at mouth of Weber Canyon. water is the ground recharge efficiency. developed to maximum The second category consists of very large quantities of water that have accumulated in the aquifer over thousands of years. This is water that could be pumped in time of drought. in Utah experts Ground-water estimate there are 72 million acre feet of this category of water stored within 500 feet of the ground surface, most of it along the Wasatch Front. Potentially it would be possible to pump 1.5 million acre feet per year for fifty years. This quantity of water, pumped annually, is similar in quantity to the total yearly amount available to Utah after full development of Utah’s share of the Colorado River. Pumping water in this quantity from the ground would constitute ‘mining’ water and it could not be done on a sustained basis, however it could be done during times of drought if the aquifer were allowed to recover by natural and artificial recharge during normal wet years. Unfortunately this ground-water potential has only been partially realized and will do little to reduce this summer’s water shortage. The ground water supply cannot be developed on a crash basis because its development involves complex technical, legal and social problems that must be worked out first. Its development will require careful regional planning which should involve both surface water and ground water studies. Success will depend upon the quality and quantity of information concerning the ground- water system collected. At present the quantity and quality of the information available and currently being collected is far from sufficient; the budgets of the responsible data collection agencies need to be increased so that these activities can be upgraded. Each time a well is drilled in the state there exists an opportunity, at little additional cost, to collect detailed information concerning the depth to and thickness of aquifers, the quality of water they contain, their potential for yielding water, and the effect that pumping from them will have on other wells and water levels in the area. This is the type of information needed to plan a well field which can most efficiently pump ground-water on a sustained basis. There is need to delineate the locations of the recharge areas for the aquifers to assure that other uses of these areas are compatible with their natural functions. Construction of streets, driveways, and houses. on these areas makes them impervious and cuts down the amount of natural recharge. In the Ogden area the main recharge areas that have been recognized are located along the Weber River from the mouth of Weber Canyon westward for a distance of 1.5 miles, and along the mountain front in the gravel deposits located between the elevations of 4,800 and 5,200 feet. In Ogden Valley to the east there is an artesian aquifer that has been supplying the city of Ogden with about half of its domestic supply for most of the century. The recharge area for this aquifer forms a belt around the valley which hugs the edge of the mountains. The recharge area along the Weber River presents an especially complex problem for planners. The river valley is an important source of gravel for the building industry as is testified to by large and deep gravel pits at the mouth of Weber Canyon. These pits do not interfere with natural recharge but their ultimate fate after the gravel supply is portance to replenishment of ground water supplies. These pits constitute potential sites for artificial recharge operations. Stream flow, if diverted into these pits, would rapidly percolate into the underlying gravel and recharge the aquifiers. | Studies that preceded the Weber Basin Project tested this concept in these pits and concluded that artificial recharge is feasible. They emphasized that in the future artificial recharge would be necessary to make recharge. up for reduced also They natural Indergroun suggested 7, Sinuedt that (continued on Page 3) bli pats fear the mc e necessar Second-class postage paid at ould alway Ogden, Utah, published five times December, a year in October, February, April and June at Weber artificial BOften whe ¥ in the Alurmi Office, Ogden, Utah 84408. Vol. 9, No. 4, April 1, 1977. ized as | | Bgion’s tras State College with editorial offices om gravel e Weber ; COMMENT is mailed at no charge to alumni of Weber State College. Alurmi Editor: Arlene Wilson. Alumni Board of Directors Executive Oe ret i G. Bnan, Dou e fills wou id result in . Tin Monts. Fist Viee President ee Kent Petersen, Second Vice President Alan E. Hall, Executive Director fd Pp TOhWA, Lindquist Bruce L.. Nilson Michael D. yea, Stephen K. Frazier Dens Deber Jeff Flamm ian Gee ine Bre rech buntain fro Directors presen ort Bator eee great | meeone, We Ogden Foing ext ects of th fmeeuantity tering the |pmot taken an ning pro