The mountain is permeable and fractured...Sulfide-Rich Sherman Cores from BW4 Classic Sherman Cores from BW5 Natural Clay from BW6 killed our pump BW-1 BW-2 BW-3 BW-4 BW-5 BW-6 BW-7

$Page 1: The mountain is permeable and fractured...Sulfide-Rich Sherman Cores from BW4 Classic Sherman Cores from BW5 Natural Clay from BW6 killed our pump BW-1 BW-2 BW-3 BW-4 BW-5 BW-6 BW-7$
The mountain is permeable and fractured: Hydrological Connectivity in the Laramie Range

1.Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming 2. Dept. of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Geosciences

WyCHEG Interest Group Meeting, Oct 30, 2017, Laramie, WY

Ye Zhang1, Brad Carr1, Shuangpo Ren2, Andy Parsekian1

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Wyoming is nicknamed “a water tower of the west”, where more than 50% of our annual precipitation falls onto the mountain ranges. This precipitation is partitioned into subsurface and surface runoffs as well as evapotranspiration. However, mountain hydrology is poorly understood, and due to lack of aquifer monitoring and characterization data, mountain groundwater hydrology is virtually unknown. Today I will present new data and research on hydrological connectivity in the Laramie Mountains; The main participants include myself, Brad Carr, and Andy Parsekian. The funding is provided by NSF EPSCoR, Geology Dept. and Thanks to Bill, the Research Office. The big picture is that this is the first time we look into groundwater hydrology in the fractured granite in a headwater mountain watershed. We drill, instrument, and test wells in granite bedrock to understand groundwater flow and fractured aquifer property such as porosity and permeability. Then, we will know how much water is flowing through the subsurface into the downstream surface water and groundwater systems in the adjacent basins.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11121878

Mountain Hydrology

Laramie Range Laramie Range

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11121878

Wyoming Blair Creek

wetland

Blair Creek Well field

Granite outcrop

Granite outcrop

Granite outcrop

Mapped lineaments

0 1 2 km

N

Medicine Bow National Forest

Blair Wallis

• Geology: fractured granite & metamorphic rock overlain by weathered granite;

• Hydrology: surface & subsurface hydrology dominated by snowmelt.

• Hydrological Research: SW & GW monitoring & GW well tests;

• Geophysical Research: borehole & surface (seismic, resistivity, GPR, NMR, gravity, etc.)

• Petrophysics research: extend from field to mountain scale;

Blair Wallis Fractured Rock Well Field

http://www.justtrails.com/tag/vedauwoo/

2 miles South of Blair Wallis Well Field, WYDOT

http://www.justtrails.com/tag/vedauwoo/

Cross-hole hydraulic communication exists among BW 6, 7, 8, 9, and BW1.

Blair Creek

wetland

0 100 200 m

N

Blair Wallis Fractured Rock Hydrology Research Well Field

Drilling at Blair

Setting surface casing made of PVC at BW6

Sulfide-Rich Sherman Cores from BW4

Classic Sherman Cores from BW5 Natural Clay from BW6 killed our pump

BW-1 BW-2 BW-3 BW-4 BW-5 BW-6 BW-7 BW-8 BW-9

Coord. 41.183939° N, 105.394125° W

41.183888° N, 105.397732° W

41.185873° N, 105.399440° W

41.184046° N, 105.393329° W

41.184099° N, 105.398273° W

41.183842° N, 105.394332° W

41.183989° N, 105.394456° W

41.183904° N, 105.394667° W

41.183753° N, 105.394551° W

TD (m) 30.27 16.03 39.10 58.61 39.02 60.76 72.83 76.2 60.96

Casing depth (m)

17 6.1 6.7 9.8 18 17.07 17.07

16.76

17.07

Casing diameter (inch)

7’’ steel casing 7’’ pvc casing 7’’ pvc casing

4’’ pvc casing

4’’ pvc casing 6’’ pvc casing 6’’ pvc casing 6’’ pvc casing

6’’ pvc casing

Borehole diameter*1 (inch)

4 7/8’’ 5.5’’ 5.5’’ ~3.8’’ ~3.8’’ 5’’ 5’’ 5’’ 5’’

Rock type Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Sulfide-rich Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

DTW (m)*2

11.8 (8/15/2015) 11.03 (11/18/2015)

5.7 (9/11/2015)

11.7 (11/18/2015)

10.9 (9/11/2015)

13.18 from toc (9/8/2016) 12.645 bgs (8/31/2016)

11.835 from toc? (9/8/2016) 11.755 bgs (9/1/2016)

13.743 (12/8/2016)

12.947 (12/8/2016)

*1 This is diameter of the open borehole beneath the casing (see the diagram on previous page; also see caliper logs); *2 From top of casing (TOC) unless it is labeled as bgs (below ground surface); continuous WL monitoring is available since May, 2015. *3 No corings for BW 6, 7, 8, and 9. Note most shallow saprolite wells (Brady’s; Austin’s) in Blair Wallis were drilled using the backpack shaw drill.

Drilling method

air/water rotary +coring; airlifted;

air/water rotary +coring; not developed

wireline+coring (drilled with water); not developed

wireline+coring (drilled with water); airlifted;


air/water rotary + downhole hammer*3

airlifted;

air/water rotary + downhole hammer; airlifted;



Well Field Summary

• 9 bedrock wells completed in the saturated fractured granite; A subset of 5 wells (BW1, 6, 7, 8, 9) are hydraulically connected;

• 4 or 5 shallow wells completed in saturated weathered granite;

• 7 NMR boreholes completed in unsaturated weathered granite;

• All wells & boreholes: monitoring water pressure & temperature;

• Hydraulic tests: single well & cross-hole interference tests (hydraulic tomography);

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Most wells have the top of the static WT no more than 1 m above the top of the fractured bedrock. The exceptions to this are BW4 (where the WT is 1 m below the top of frac rock) and BW1 (where the WT is ~4-5m above the top of the bedrock). We have 7 NMR boreholes that are completed to the top of the fractured bedrock. Of these seven, only one of them found the static water table in the saprolite.

• Numerous bedrock fractures observed in cores and wireline logs;

• Short-term pumping tests (up to 44 hr) show from very-low to moderate productivity;

• Bedrock equivalent KH: 10-7~10-4 m/s (fine to medium sand);

• Fresh water (TDS<100 mg/l); a few tests produced suspended sediments (granite minerals & clay);

Well Field Observations

BW4

• 28 hr pumping test @ 20 gpm; • Drawdown in BW4 is ~12 m; • BW1, 40 m away, had no response;

Presenter

Presentation Notes

From the hydraulic and geophysical monitoring and testing data collected in the well field, we aim to build integrated models to quantify the rate and pathway of GW and its interaction with surface water and snowmelt.

BW 7 Test • Variable fracture

connectivity: differential drawdowns in monitoring wells;

• Sediment production causes pumping rate to reduce;

• Drawdown stabilization at 3.5 gpm: water-supply BC (stream loss);

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

8/22/2017 0:00 8/22/2017 12:00 8/23/2017 0:00 8/23/2017 12:00 8/24/2017 0:00 8/24/2017 12:00 8/25/2017 0:00

DTW

(m)

manualmeasurementtransducer

Sediment production

Presenter

Presentation Notes

6.5gpm to 3.5gpm at the first ‘major’ water level rise.

Discharge: GW flow to basin is estimated at 6~19% of the total precipitation over the Laramie Range, assuming local-scale K data at Blair extends to mountain scale.

Recharge: GW level is dominated by annual spring snowmelt indicating connectivity to surface.

Recharge & Discharge

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Mention the assumption behind the “discharge” calculation: the local scale K data from the Blair Wallis well field is assumed to extend to the entire Laramie Range.

Denver Basin – Casper Aquifer

Laramie Basin: Casper Aquifer Monitoring

Taboga (2006)

Recharge to Casper Aquifer from above during annual snowmelt.

Laramie Basin: Casper Recharge Study

Artesian (~13’ ags)

Granite flow at ~2 gpm

Head (~20’ bgs)

Sept-Oct, 2017: Hydraulic gradient exists for upward flow, supplying a “sub-charge” to Casper Aquifer

Presenter

Presentation Notes

To understand aquifer recharge in the Laramie Basin, we have drilled and are currently installing two groundwater monitoring wells (“Government Gulch-Mon.1” or GGMW1 and “Government Gulch- Mon.2” or GGMW2) that are designed to document and quantify the timing, magnitude, and mechanics of recharge to the Casper Aquifer and underlying fractured granite. The wells are located on USFS land in Sections 27 and 34 of Township 15 North, Range 72 West, in the bottom of an unnamed drainage immediately south of the Government Gulch drainage. The two wells have a separation distance of only 7 feet.

• Exists between snow, streams, lakes/reservoirs, soil, & groundwater regimes;

• Degrees of connectivity varies;

• Complex interaction.

Broader Connectivity

Implications Scientific: Advance understanding of mountain hydrology & snowmelt partitioning into SW and GW;

• Opportunities (mountain block v. mountain front recharge); • Vulnerability; • Conjunctive SW/GW management;

Management:

Future Work: • Petrophysics linking aquifer properties to geophysics for mountain

scale surveys;

Presenter

Presentation Notes

. Opportunity, e.g., snow fence placement, artificial recharge ponds; 2. Vulnerability, e.g., reduced streamflow due to aquifer production, contaminant pathways. Distributed map showing high versus low MFR and MBR zones:

Extra

Blair Wallis Fractured Rock research well field

Red Buttes

Belvoir Ranch

Gov Gulch Site

Casper Aquifer Monitoring Program & UW Golf Course

High plains aquifer monitoring well network (ALTAS site)

Monitored reservoirs

6 stream sites with 12 riparian wells

Laramie Basin

Denver Basin

Laramie Range


Acknowledgement

Students: Shuangpo Ren, Sam Grag, Sam Coker; Consultants: Chris Moody, Bern Hinkeley, Mark Stacy; Funding: NSF, Wyoming Water Research Program, USGS; Cooperating Agencies: USFS, State of Wyoming DEQ, Cheyenne BOPU;

Presenter

Presentation Notes

. Opportunity, e.g., snow fence placement, artificial recharge ponds; 2. Vulnerability, e.g., reduced streamflow due to aquifer production, contaminant pathways. Distributed map showing high versus low MFR and MBR zones:

BW-1 BW-2 BW-3 BW-4 BW-5 BW-6 BW-7 BW-8 BW-9

Coord. 41.183939° N, 105.394125° W

41.183888° N, 105.397732° W

41.185873° N, 105.399440° W

41.184046° N, 105.393329° W

41.184099° N, 105.398273° W

41.183842° N, 105.394332° W

41.183989° N, 105.394456° W

41.183904° N, 105.394667° W

41.183753° N, 105.394551° W

TD (m) 30.27 16.03 39.10 58.61 39.02 60.76 72.83 76.2 60.96

Casing depth (m)

17 6.1 6.7 9.8 18 17.07 17.07

16.76

17.07

Casing diameter (inch)

7’’ steel casing 7’’ pvc casing 7’’ pvc casing

4’’ pvc casing

4’’ pvc casing 6’’ pvc casing 6’’ pvc casing 6’’ pvc casing

6’’ pvc casing

Borehole diameter*1 (inch)

4 7/8’’ 5.5’’ 5.5’’ ~3.8’’ ~3.8’’ 5’’ 5’’ 5’’ 5’’

Rock type Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Sulfide-rich Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

Classic Sherman

DTW (m)*2

11.8 (8/15/2015) 11.03 (11/18/2015)

5.7 (9/11/2015)

11.7 (11/18/2015)

10.9 (9/11/2015)

13.18 from toc (9/8/2016) 12.645 bgs (8/31/2016)

11.835 from toc? (9/8/2016) 11.755 bgs (9/1/2016)

13.743 (12/8/2016)

12.947 (12/8/2016)

*1 This is diameter of the open borehole beneath the casing (see the diagram on previous page; also see caliper logs); *2 From top of casing (TOC) unless it is labeled as bgs (below ground surface); continuous WL monitoring is available since May, 2015. *3 No corings for BW 6, 7, 8, and 9. Note most shallow saprolite wells (Brady’s; Austin’s) in Blair Wallis were drilled using the backpack shaw drill.

Drilling method

air/water rotary +coring; airlifted;

air/water rotary +coring; not developed

wireline+coring (drilled with water); not developed



air/water rotary + downhole hammer*3

airlifted;




BW4

Upper Lone Tree Creek watershed

Upper Duck Creek watershed

Upper Goose Creek watershed

BELVOIR RANCH

Upstream flow stations Downstream flow stations Existing monitoring wells

Casper formation outcrop

A B C

Denver Basins: Belvoir Ranch Stream, Riparian, and Casper Aquifer Study

Belvoir Ranch: SW/GW Connectivity

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1405/

165/

195/

215/

245/

275/

29 6/1

6/4

6/6

6/9

6/12

6/14

6/17

6/20

6/22

6/26

6/29 7/

17/

47/

77/

97/

127/

157/

177/

207/

237/

257/

287/

31 8/2Pr

ecip

itatio

n an

d S

now

Wat

er

Equi

vale

nce

(mm

)

SWE (mm) Precipitation (mm)

52

54

56

58

60

62

64

66

68

70

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

5/16

5/19

5/21

5/24

5/27

5/29 6/

16/

46/

66/

96/

126/

146/

176/

206/

226/

266/

29 7/1

7/4

7/7

7/9

7/12

7/15

7/17

7/20

7/23

7/25

7/28

7/31 8/

2

Gro

und

wat

er d

epth

(m)

Wat

er d

epth

in st

ream

(m)

Stream WL, upstream siteStream WL, downstream siteGround water depth at LTC Mon #1

Laramie Basin: Casper Recharge Study Granite interval: image & flowmeter logs

bgs (m)

inflow

outflow

Artesian (~13’ ags)

Granite flow at ~2 gpm

Head (~20’ bgs)

Sept-Oct, 2017: Hydraulic gradient exists for upward flow, thus a “sub-charge” to Casper

Presenter

Presentation Notes

To understand aquifer recharge in the Laramie Basin, we have drilled and are currently installing two groundwater monitoring wells (“Government Gulch-Mon.1” or GGMW1 and “Government Gulch- Mon.2” or GGMW2) that are designed to document and quantify the timing, magnitude, and mechanics of recharge to the Casper Aquifer and underlying fractured granite. The wells are located on USFS land in Sections 27 and 34 of Township 15 North, Range 72 West, in the bottom of an unnamed drainage immediately south of the Government Gulch drainage. The two wells have a separation distance of only 7 feet.

Geology of southern Wyoming

UW GG

Documents

The mountain is permeable and fractured...Sulfide-Rich Sherman Cores from BW4 Classic Sherman Cores from BW5 Natural Clay from BW6 killed our pump BW-1 BW-2 BW-3 BW-4 BW-5 BW-6 BW-7