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Groundwater Management Tools:
Analytical Procedure and Case Studies

MAF Technical Paper No: 2003/06

Prepared for MAF Policy
by Vince Bidwell

ISBN No: 0-478-07771-8
ISSN No: 1171-4662

October 2003

Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Section A – Groundwater Management: Best Practice Guideline
• 1. The Management Objective
• 2. Concepts of Sustainable Yield
  • 2.1. A Misconception
  • 2.2. Groundwater Budgets
  • 2.3. Dynamic Storage
• 3. Scale of Abstraction Effects
• 4. Limitations of Data and Information
  • 4.1. Quantifying Recharge
  • 4.2. Geohydrological Information
  • 4.3. Piezometric Data
  • 4.4. Abstraction
  • 4.5. Conclusions about Groundwater Resource Data
• 5. Monitoring Methods
  • 5.1. Groundwater Levels – the Key Indicator
  • 5.2. Land Surface Recharge
  • 5.3. Abstraction
• 6. Adaptive Management
  • 6.1. What is Adaptive Management?
  • 6.2. Analytical Tools for Adaptive Management
• Section B – The Eigenmodel Method
• 1. Eigenmodel – a New Name
• 2. Assumptions
  • 2.1. The Management Objective
  • 2.2. Causes of Environmental Effects
• 3. Dynamic Behaviour of Aquifers
  • 3.1. Linear Storage – the Building Block of Dynamic Response
    • 3.1.1. Computational Equations
    • 3.1.2. Steady-state Conditions
    • 3.1.3. Storage Residence Time and Eigenvalue
    • 3.1.4. Combinations of Linear Storages
  • 3.2. The Aquifer as a Complex Linear System
• 4. Eigenmodels
  • 4.1. Assumptions
  • 4.1.1. Dynamics of Recharge Processes
    • 4.1.2. Land Surface Recharge Pattern
    • 4.1.3. Aquifer Properties
    • 4.1.4. Dynamic Effect of the Vadose Zone
  • 4.2. Model Structure
    • 4.2.1. Characteristics of an Eigenmodel
  • 4.3. Equations for Spreadsheets
    • 4.3.1. Prediction Equation
    • 4.3.2. Parameter Relationships
  • 4.4. Model Calibration
    • 4.4.1. Objective Function
    • 4.4.2. Parameter Constraints
    • 4.4.3. Initial Parameter Values
    • 4.4.4. Calibration Procedure
• 5. Aquifer Characteristics and Eigenmodel Parameters
  • 5.1. Eigenvalues of a Simple Aquifer
    • 5.1.1. Significance of Eigenvalues
    • 5.1.2. Effect of Horizontal Scale
    • 5.1.3. Effect of Aquifer Boundaries
    • 5.1.4. Effect of Geological Properties
  • 5.2. Relevance of the Gain Coefficients
    • 5.2.1. Effect of Location and Boundaries
    • 5.2.2. Estimating Aquifer Storativity
  • 5.3. The "Base" Parameter and River Recharge
• 6. Case Histories
  • 6.1. Motueka Aquifer
    • 6.1.1. Preliminary Assessment with Limited Data
    • 6.1.2. Assessment with Additional Data
  • 6.2. Central Plains Aquifer, Canterbury
    • 6.2.1. Preliminary Assessment with Individual Short Records
    • 6.2.2. Reassessment with Combined Short Records
    • 6.2.3. Assessment with Longer Time Series
    • 6.2.4. Assessment with Combined Longer Series
• 7. Application to Groundwater Management
  • 7.1. Sustainable Limits to Groundwater Allocation
  • 7.2. Short-term and Long-term Effects of Abstraction
  • 7.3. Analysis of Aquifers with Unknown Abstraction
  • 7.4. Case Study: Effects of Groundwater Abstraction on the Halswell River
    • 7.4.1. Relationship between Groundwater Level and Streamflow
    • 7.4.2. Eigenmodel Predictions of Low Flow
    • 7.4.3. A First Look at "sustainable yield"
  • 7.5. A Tool for Adaptive Management
  • 7.6. Updating the Eigenmodel for Real-time Forecasting
  • 7.7. Forecasting the Effects of Abstraction
• 8. Summary of Good Practice
  • 8.1. Estimation of Land Surface Recharge
  • 8.2. When to Use the Eigenmodel Method
  • 8.3. The Transition to More Complex Models
• Appendix I: Conference Paper on Eigenmodel Theory
• Appendix II: Eigenmodel Mathematics for Spreadsheet Implementation
• PDF Version

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Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this publication is accurate, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry does not accept any responsibility or liability for error or fact omission, interpretation or opinion which may be present, nor for the consequences of any decisions based on this information.

Any view or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the official view of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The information in this report and any accompanying documentation is accurate to the best of the knowledge and belief of the consultant acting on behalf of MAF Policy. While the consultant has exercised all reasonable skill and care in the preparation of information in this report, neither the consultants nor MAF Policy accept any liability in contract, or otherwise for any loss, damage, injury, or expense, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising out of the provision of information in this report.

Requests for further copies should be directed to:

Publication Adviser MAF Information Bureau P O Box 2526 WELLINGTON

Telephone: (04) 894 0100 Facsimile: (04) 894 0720

This publication is also available on the MAF website at www.maf.govt.nz/publications 

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