Simulated water-level declines caused by withdrawals from wells J-13 and J-12 near Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

摘要

Simulations were done to examine the effects of ground-water withdrawals from wells J-13 and J-12 near Yucca Mountain, Nevada. These simulations were done using a two-dimensional finite-element model of the subregional groundwater flow system of Yucca Mountain and vicinity. Eight different withdrawal rates ranging from 36 gallons per minute (the minimum average for well J-13) to 1,390 gallons per minute (the maximum for both J-13 and J-12 combined) were used in conjunction with specific-yield values of 0.001, 0.005, and 0.01. Drawdown was analyzed for each withdrawal rate by plotting contours of drawdown after 10 years of simulated withdrawals, and by plotting drawdown as a function of time for model locations corresponding to well J-13, well J-12, one-half mile south of well J-12, 2 miles north of the town of Amargosa Valley, and about 5 miles northwest of the Ash Meadows area. Because the range in simulated withdrawal rate was large, the range in resultant drawdown was correspondingly large. The simulated drawdowns after 10 years for the withdrawal rate of 90 gallons per minute from well J-13, based on a specific yield of 0.01 (which was considered to be a minimum value for the aquifer system) were 0.95 foot at well J-13, 0.53 foot at Amargosa Valley, and 0.16 foot northwest of Ash Meadows.