Effects of Changes in Irrigation Practices and Aquifer Development in Groundwater Discharge to the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve near Salinas, Puerto Rico

摘要

The purpose of this report is to document changes in irrigation practices and aquifer development in the vicinity of the Jobos Bay National Estaurine Research Reserve (JBNERR) and to quantify changes in groundwater discharge into the JBNERR. These objectives were accomplished by collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing data, and developing a numerical groundwater flow model calibrated to transient conditions from 1986 through 2004. The period chosen covers a range of hydrologic conditions, such as flooding and droughts, and the switch from furrow to micro-drip irrigation practices. Most of the study was concentrated on the Salinas fan delta along the Rio Nigua, north of the JBNERR. This report documents the hydrologic setting and geologic setting; freshwater discharge in the estuary and freshwater/seawater interface locations, determined with continuous resistivity profiling (CRP); historical changes in land use, surface-water use, and groundwater use; digital model development and calibration; and alternative water-management strategies.