Groundwater Model to Assess Water Resource Impacts at the Imperial East Solar Energy Zone.

摘要

The purpose of this study is to develop a groundwater flow model to examine the influence of potential groundwater withdrawal to support the utility-scale solar energy development at the Imperial East Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) as a part of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) solar energy program. The Imperial East SEZ groundwater model (referred to as the Imperial East model, or the model) is a flow model that utilizes established numerical simulation software based upon hydrogeological principles, publicly available characterization information, and several stated assumptions. Its development was initiated through modifications of an earlier, non-calibrated flow model of the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys described by Tompson et al. (2008). While the focus of the model is primarily on the projected drawdown effects, its construction is based on a detailed “head” modeling approach with true elevation control to provide a platform for more in-depth modeling. The model consists of three phases: Phase 1 — Calibration to steady-state, pre-1942 conditions (before the All American Canal began operation) to establish starting heads for the subsequent transient modeling; Phase 2 — Calibration of a transient model to assess municipal and agricultural water usage and the effects of irrigation canal linings through 2013; and Phase 3 — Development of transient model scenarios to assess the simulated impact of 20 years of groundwater withdrawals for various development scenarios of the Imperial East SEZ.