Vertical Profiles of Streambed Hydraulic Conductivity Determined Using Slug Testsin Central and Western Nebraska

摘要

Many issues of water-resources management rely on modeling of ground-water/surface-water interactions, and streambed hydraulic conductivity is a key parameter controlling the water fluxes across the stream/aquifer interface. However, in central and western Nebraska, this parameter is generally undefined. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Nebraska Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study Group, performed slug tests at 15 stream sites in the Platte, Republican, and Little Blue River watersheds to determine the hydraulic conductivity of streambeds in central and western Nebraska. Slug tests were completed at several discrete depth intervals using pneumatic or mechanical methods, and the water-level response was monitored on site using a pressure transducer and laptop computer. Responses were analyzed using either the Bouwer and Rice or Springer and Gelhar methods. Vertical profiles of hydraulic conductivity with depth were developed and were compared to available information on lithology.