WaterWired

Transboundary Aquifer Collection Just Published: 'Special Issue on International Shared Aquifer Resources Assessment and Management'

I just received this email from Alfonso Rivera and Lucila Candela.

Dear contributors, dear colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that we announce the long-awaited publication of the Special Issue on International Shared Aquifer Resources Assessment and Management, officially published today by the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.

You may access, read and/or download the full volume here:

Special Issue on International Shared Aquifer Resources Assessment and Management

We are very grateful for your contributions and patience, it took long but it was worth it!

We asked the journal for printed volumes and will let you know later if we can distribute one to everyone on this list.

Please forward this message to co-authors we may have forgotten on this Email, as well as globally to your networks around the world.

With our best regards,

Alfonso and Lucila

This is an exceptional volume. 

There are 12 articles. I have reprinted the abstract of the editorial by Alfonso and Lucila, after which I have listed the titles of the others. You should be able to freely access them by clicking on the title.

Editorial

Editorial for the Special Issue on the International Shared Aquifer Resources Assessment and Management

Abstract

Transboundary water systems, which include interlinked river basins, lakes and aquifers, do not respect jurisdictional boundaries and many of them extend over more than one country. Management of these aquifers in fragmented ways may affect sustainable development within and beyond a country’s borders and this requires an integrated water resource management approach. The importance of transboundary water was initially recognized under the ‘Convention on the protection and use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes (Helsinki, 1992)’, a legal framework for transboundary water cooperation worldwide, globally available since 2003. The global assessment of Transboundary Water Assessment Programme (TWAP) was developed by the UNESCO’s International Hydrology Program, and a conceptual framework for transboundary aquifers (TBA) assessment was developed by UNESCO-IHP and the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) in 2002 describing the major issues of concern and the priorities for supporting the conservation of TBA systems. As a result, the International Shared Aquifer Resources Management (ISARM) initiative was launched globally in 2002. Here we summarize key findings from 11 papers, most of which were selected by invitation to prepare this special issue on the International Shared Aquifer Resources Assessment and Management from four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

Global

Fifteen-year experiences of the internationally shared aquifer resources management initiative (ISARM) of UNESCO at the global scale

Legal frameworks for the governance of international transboundary aquifers: Pre- and post-ISARM experience

Africa

Transboundary aquifers of Africa: Review of the current state of knowledge and progress towards sustainable development and management

A national approach to systematic transboundary aquifer assessment and conceptualisation at relevant scales: A Malawi case study

Americas

The Guarani Aquifer System: From a Beacon of hope to a question mark in the governance of transboundary aquifers

Findings and lessons learned from the assessment of the Mexico-United States transboundary San Pedro and Santa Cruz aquifers: The utility of social science in applied hydrologic research

Transboundary aquifers between Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Texas, USA: Identification and categorization

Asia

Assessment of transboundary aquifer resources in Asia: Status and progress towards sustainable groundwater management

Europe

The Genevese transboundary aquifer (Switzerland-France): The secret of 40 years of successful management

The upper pannonian thermal aquifer: Cross border cooperation as an essential step to transboundary groundwater management

Development of cooperation on managing transboundary groundwaters in the pan-European region: The role of international frameworks and joint assessments

For some lighter fare, view the May 2018 issue of Water Resources IMPACT edited by John Tracy and me on Transboundary Groundwater. It contains short articles written in a conversational style. Click here.

Enjoy!

"If God created the world, his primary concern was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us." - Albert Einstein (quoted in @aeonmag via @TheWeek)

World Bank Group Report: 'Assessment of Groundwater Challenges & Opportunities in Support of Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa'

Here you go - Happy Thanksgiving!

World Bank Group. 2018. Assessment of Groundwater Challenges and Opportunities in Support of Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa. World Bank, Washington, DC. © World Bank.

Download Assessment_GW_Challenges_Opportunities_SSAfrica

Abstract

The report confirms that groundwater, if managed sustainably, can be an important development resource across the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. The report presents data related to groundwater resource characteristics and highlights the opportunities and challenges presented in promoting sustainable and resilient groundwater development in the region. Groundwater has significant potential to support human and economic development in SSA, as it has done in other global regions. The report recommends investment in expanding groundwater development as an integral component of national water resources strategy for countries in SSA. Investment in groundwater can be financially viable and a wise policy option to support socioeconomic development if safeguards specific to groundwater are incorporated into investmentprograms. The expansion should be designed within a sustainable framework responsive to thespecial social and cultural and economic features of groundwater resources, compounded bytheir special hydrological, environmental and engineering dimensions to guide sustainabledevelopment of this important component of water resources.

Thanks to Jude Cobbing for sending this my way.

 

Enjoy!

 

"Everything you're sure is right can be wrong in another place." - Barbara Kingsolver, in 'The Poisonwood Bible'

The Water Report IMAR Article: 'Incentivized Managed Aquifer Recharge' - Basin Scale Implementation of MAR

This article by David R. Tuthill, Jr. and Ronald D. Carlson of the Recharge Development Corporation appeared in Issue #176 (15 October 2018) of The Water Report. Editor David Light granted me permission to post it here.

David Tuthill is a former director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources. I met him for the first time at a meeting of the Western States Water Council in Newport last August and we talked about the IMAR approach. It's intriguing although I have not yet delved into it in great detail. I need to think about its 'patentable' aspect.

Download Incentivized_MAR_TWR

Here is the introductory material.

Introduction

A process of Incentivized Managed Aquifer Recharge, utilizing ownership of marketable Aquifer Recharge Units is being implemented within Idaho’s Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. A powerful tool in establishing balanced and sustainable aquifer management, the Incentivized Managed Aquifer Recharge program could have beneficial application in suitable water basins throughout the West.

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) may be defined as processes designed to move water from land surface to aquifer storage. MAR has been conducted in various locations throughout the world since ancient times. Modern MAR efforts in the western United States have been frequently documented in The Water Report (see Recharge References below). Virtually all of these efforts, however, have been undertaken by or through a governmental entity (state or municipal), or by a private entity at a local scale involving one or just a few wells. The State of Arizona created a basin-wide opportunity for crediting recharge water but this system applies only in Arizona. While localized efforts in other basins have been implemented, to date they do not provide cost-effective incentivized solutions at a basin scale.

The Recharge Development Corporation (RDC) is an Idaho corporation created for the purpose of developing infrastructure, processes, and strategies that will facilitate water retention projects to benefit residents and water users in the State of Idaho.

RDC is helping incentivize Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer entities to be involved in MAR through the application of Incentivized Managed Aquifer Recharge (patent-pending).

Incentivized Managed Aquifer Recharge (IMAR) includes the following seven concepts:

1) Ownership of Aquifer Recharge Units (ARUs) that are fungible, have value, can be bought and sold and are directly analogous to the space acquired in a surface reservoir

2) MAR volumes are measured and the measured volumes are allocated to ARUs which each represent one acre-foot of virtual space in an aquifer, and are fully tracked

3) Real-time measurements of MAR volumes are based on surface water flow measurements. The evacuation of ARU storage generally relates to a pumped volume attributed to the ARU holder

4) Water allocated to owned ARUs becomes available to enable pumping. When the ability to pump under other established water rights would otherwise not be available, allocated ARU storage can be withdrawn and used as a supplemental water supply — in the same manner in which surface storage credited to the space of a reservoir space holder is used to supplement a surface water right (entitlement) to divert natural stream flow

5) Canal companies are commonly non-profit corporations created to distribute allocated water supplies to the stockholders of the company. Similarly, a local non-profit organization that is owned and operated by ARU owners is established under state law to accomplish long-term management of the ARUs and associated MAR within a basin

6) The ARUs are associated on a one-to-one basis with the shares of stock in the local non-profit corporation

7) Specific MAR allocation protocols that are similar to an allocation priority are applied to certain ARUs based on the date of acquisition of the shares

An eighth concept that is being investigated and discussed but has not yet been achieved is to treat a local aquifer as an additional reservoir that is fully integrated with the surface reservoirs in a basin. Implementation of this concept is a work in progress.

This article provides an overview of the unique IMAR process. From its genesis, a group of Idaho water users, lawyers, engineers and technical experts developed the operational concepts and legal approach for a defensible and robust IMAR program. The article discusses: ARUs; municipal applications; ground water district applications; tribal opportunities; and costs. The existing implementation in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer in Idaho is described. Criteria for other eligible basins are listed. The result is a case for application of these concepts in other basins throughout the western United States and internationally. 

Cutting to the chase.....

Conclusion

The principals of RDC have spent eight years developing the concepts and techniques described in this paper, to provide for implementation of Incentivized Managed Aquifer Recharge. The system is now operational in one basin, with movements toward starting the process in many others. These processes provide opportunities for implementation of conjunctive management and for additional beneficial use of water in the spirit of western water law. The principals look forward to assisting others with implementation of these concepts.

For additional information:

Dave tuthill, Recharge Development Corporation, 208/ 870-0345 or dave@idahowaterengineering.com

Good stuff!

Enjoy!

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." - Viktor Frankl (quoted in @Forbes via @TheWeek)

 

My PowerPoint at AWRA Baltimore: 'After 110 Years of Infiltration the Winters Doctrine Reaches Groundwater' (Updated: 13 November 2018)

This presentation is quite similar to the one I presented at the 2018 AWRA Summer Specialty Conference in Fort Worth. It does have several extra slides. I thought I would have more to report but I don't.

Note: this was updated on 13 November 2018 - several new slides.

PPT: Download CAMPANA_AWRA_Winters_8Nov2018

PDF: Download CAMPANA_AWRA_Winters_8Nov2018

Here is a description of the topic:

Mention the Winters Doctrine to a certified WaterWonk and you're likely to get this response: 'Oh, yeah, I know that one. It's the Supreme Court decision that reserved water rights for federal reservations even though the rights were not specifically granted when the reservation was created.' That's a pretty good definition, although I suspect a few of my legal friends are no doubt rolling their eyes.  Many people interpret the word 'reservation' to mean 'Native American reservation' but the term refers to any federal 'reservation' such as a national monument, park, etc. 

So how does an article about the Wintersdoctrine and its promise of water rights find its way into an issue on transboundary groundwater? Let me explain, starting with a little bit of repetition.

One of the most important U.S. Supreme Court water decisions is the 1908 Winters v. United Statesdecision in which the court established the federal reserved water rights doctrine. This doctrine, often associated with Native American reservations but also applicable to other federal lands such as national monuments, holds that when the federal government set aside lands it implicitly reserved sufficient water to enable the reserved lands to be used as intended. These reserved rights, or Winters rights as they are frequently called, have traditionally pertained to surface water and not to groundwater.  That is about to change.

In the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians v. Coachella Valley Water Districtcase the tribe sued a number of California water agencies for adversely affecting the quality and quantity of its groundwater by over-pumping a shared aquifer. The tribe further asserted that it had Wintersrights to the groundwater beneath its reservation. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the tribe's favor, stating that the Wintersdoctrine applies to groundwater as well as surface water. Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, so the Ninth Circuit Court's decision stands. At this juncture the decision applies only to the states covered by the Ninth Circuit: Alaska, Hawai'i, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, and Montana.

Why is this decision important? Ten states - Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska, Arkansas, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin filed an amici curiaebrief supporting the water agencies' position. This action indicates the concern the states have about the ramifications of this decision vis-a-vis their primacy when it comes to water law and allocation of water within their borders. Groundwater underlying tribal reservations  could be treated as a transboundary resource subject to water law different from the states.

Furthermore, two aspects of the case are still being litigated - the tribe's claim to ownership of its aquifer's pore space (storage) and degradation of its groundwater quality by the water agencies' use of inferior Colorado River water to recharge a aquifer they share with the tribe.

The pore space issue is particularly important, since, should the tribe prevail, ownership of pore space might interfere with states' or water agencies' efforts to implement managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects, since the water might enter pores owned by tribes and possibly pollute the tribes' groundwater. It should be noted that the Coachella Valley Water District implements MAR. Its Thomas E. Levy Groundwater Replenishment Facility graced the cover of the September 2017 Water Resources IMPACT. I suspect that its use of Colorado River water might be a reason for the tribe's water quality complaint.   

Pore rental or purchase might be available in future water banks.

Enjoy!

"Geography: a borderline subject with links to many departments, useful to all but lacking definite outlines and disciplines of its own.” – George D. Hubbard (1951, Journal of Higher Education)

Bill Alley NGWA Editorial: 'Hurricane Florence - Why Is Nobody Talking About Groundwater?'

Friend and hydrogeologist extraordinaire Dr. Bill Alley, NGWA’s Director of Science and Technology, wrote the following editorial right after Hurricane Florence hit the East Coast last month. I scraped it from the NGWA website, primarily because I wanted to ensure it is permanently archived somewhere. Its content will become increasingly relevant as time passes; Bill's remarks transcend Florence. Hurricane Michael, anyone? Or Harvey? 

Hurricane Florence: Why Is Nobody Talking About Groundwater?

The historic flooding from Hurricane Florence has unleashed massive amounts of contaminants causing widespread pollution of streams, rivers, and lakes. Less obvious, but of considerable concern, are the effects on groundwater. Attention to groundwater quality is needed, both immediately and longer-term.

The sources of contamination are many in the region impacted by the storm: compromised hog-waste lagoons, dead animal carcasses, runoff from fields where billions of gallons of manure are sprayed annually, partially or wholly untreated sewage from municipal treatment plants suffering from power outages, breached coal ash storage ponds, and flooded hazardous waste sites, among others.

Much of the contaminant load in surface water will find its way into groundwater.

Of most immediate concern are the effects on homeowners’ wells, along with wells in trailer parks, campgrounds, and elsewhere that are used without treatment. Most of these wells are shallow, making them especially vulnerable to contamination.

Of particular concern are wells inundated by flooding. Mud and debris may have to be physically removed. But that’s just a start. No well is completely safe from flooding, but those with a cracked or improper cap are particularly vulnerable. Contaminated water also can fast-track into well water by flowing downward along the annulus between a well casing and the side of the borehole—again, older wells or those improperly constructed are most vulnerable. Wastewater from homeowners’ overloaded septic systems is yet another concern.

Most rural residents depend on a domestic well for their sole water supply. People whose wells have been flooded will need another source of water while their well is tested and disinfected. Disinfection is best done by a certified well contractor, which takes several days under normal circumstances when a contractor is available and may need to be repeated multiple times. Some wells may not be a safe source of water for months after the flood.

Bacteria and chemicals slowly seeping into the ground can contaminate groundwater even after the water is tested and found to be safe. Streams, rivers, and lakes are typically hydrologically connected to groundwater, resulting in the potential for widescale groundwater contamination throughout the region. It will be necessary to take long-range precautions, including repeated testing, to protect the safety of drinking water and to monitor the longer-term groundwater impacts.

As the region recovers from Florence, groundwater may be out-of-sight, but it should not be out-of-mind.

Dr. Bill Alley is the National Ground Water Association’s Science and Technology Director. Previously, he served as chief of the Office of Groundwater at the U.S. Geological Survey for nearly 20 years. Alley and his wife, Rosemarie, wrote the book High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World’s Growing Dependence on Groundwater, which was released in early 2017.

Bill is spot-on with his assessment. It should be emphasized that the long-term effects are quite serious given the inherently insidious nature of groundwater contamination. The visuals for floods necessarily focus on surface effects - no explanation for that is required. But for once I'd love to see CNN's Anderson Cooper or Brooke Baldwin standing by a wellhead explaining the hidden dangers lurking in the floodwaters. 

I recall in my first hydrology class way back when (1970) - we learned that floodwaters are beneficial in that they recharge groundwater. But they forgot to mention a term that was often neglected in those days - water quality.  

"If you can not measure it, you can not improve it." - Lord Kelvin