ALBERT

Notizen: Measurement of the depth to water in wells can be accomplished by timing the fall of a marble or BB. Depth to water can also be determined in terms of the frequency of the reverberations heard in a well. These two methods are called the rock and the bong techniques respectively. Their theoretical basis, their proper execution, and their usefulness are discussed.

Notizen: The feasibility of determining the ground-water contribution to stream flow during periods of storm runoff by continuous monitoring of a stream's electrical conductance was investigated. Methods involving graphical techniques or ground-water stage versus base flow rating curves are generally used to determine the ground-water contribution, but the ground-water contribution can also be estimated if stream flow and the conductance of surface water and of ground water are known. The conductance method was tested on a 95-square-mile basin in north-central Illinois. Continuous records of stream flow, stream-flow conductance, and ground-water stage within the basin were collected. A rating curve of base flow versus mean ground-water stage was constructed, and ground-water discharges determined from the rating curve were compared with those computed from conductance data. The conductance method normally gave a lower estimate of the ground-water contribution than did the rating-curve method. However, analyses of storms which were preceded by extended dry periods resulted in much lower estimates of ground-water discharge by the rating-curve method than by the conductance method. The conductance method offers a simple alternative for use in areas where observation wells are unavailable or where rating curves are difficult to construct.

Notizen: Observation wells and access holes for neutron probe use were drilled by a jet-percussion drill rig in coarse alluvial material near Tucson, Arizona. The method combines the jetting action which effectively removes loose materials with the percussion necessary to break up tighter formations and large particles. A unique feature of the equipment is the provision for simultaneous drilling and driving the casing to keep the hole open in loose formations. Washed samples of the material being drilled can be obtained from the recirculating water system. Drilling rates were from seven to ten feet per hour, and costs including casing were less than $1.50 per foot. Maximum depth is about 100 feet.Hydrologic study of a ground-water reservoir requires access to the aquifer. Observations are made where the water table intersects the land surface, such as at springs or seeps, or through existing wells. However, wells are not always found in desired locations or are pumped so heavily that their usefulness as observation wells is impaired. Measurements are also made in the unsaturated zone with neutron moisture measuring equipment, which requires a small diameter cased access hole for the neutron probe.An observation well needs a diameter only large enough for access by measuring devices and must be immediately responsive to changes in aquifer water level. For neutron probe use, the required diameter is about two inches, and the well must have no significant effect on moisture movement in the unsaturated zone. To meet these requirements the drilling process should have no lasting effect on the formation surrounding the well. Finally, since the wells have no economic utility, construction cost must be low.A network of observation wells and neutron probe access holes was drilled as part of a project to evaluate the natural recharge from Rillito Creek near Tucson, Arizona. The formation along the creek bed is a coarse alluvial outwash containing almost no clay, considerable running sand, and some large gravel and boulders. Commercial churn (percussion) and hydraulic rotary drills, commonly used for drilling in this area, were first tried but encountered much difficulty in the loose materials.Previous investigators used jetting equipment drill small diameter holes in a variety of alluvi formations (Cederstrom and Tibbitts, 1961; Bowma: 1911; and Pillsbury and Christiansen, 1947). Howeve in most cases, either open hole drilling was used because the fine material content and the limited numb. of boulders or large gravel particles made this methc possible, or drilling mud was used to maintain th hole. The jetting method uses water pumped unde pressure through hollow rods and a drill bit to loose the material and carry it to the surface. The jettin water receives little aid from the drill in loosenin the material to be removed. Usually the drill cutting are settled out in a tank or basin, and the water i recirculated.

Notizen: Under steady state conditions of flow, the seepage toward a single gravity well is governed by the Laplace Equation which may be written in terms of either the hydraulic head, the pressure head or the velocity potential. Although this equation is linear, the principle of superposition cannot be applied to sum up the individual effects in the case of a multiple gravity well system due to the variation of the flow domain under the effect of one or several wells. A method is presented allowing the use of the superposition principle in a restricted form. The superposition of the decrements of the base pressure heads than the initial heads before pumping is valid. Also the decrements in the areas of the pressure head diagrams across specific vertical sections than the original areas can be summed up together.The limitations of Dupuit's well formula are explained. The validity of that formula has been proven on the basis of the analysis of the hydraulic forces within the flow medium, an approach which is different than that given by Hantush and Charney. Furthermore, the derived equation is written in terms of the areas of the pressure head diagrams across vertical sections and termed as the Unified Well Formula because it has been proven that the same formula is also valid for artesian wells.The analysis of the hydraulic forces leads to the development of an equation for the free surface. This equation is then solved numerically in one iterative cycle. Due to the lack of simple available solutions, only one case, previously solved by the relaxation techniques, is compared with the presented method. The maximum percent difference in the depth of saturation within 82% of the flow region does not exceed 3.2% whereas in the remainder 18% of the flow region around the well, the percent difference varies between 2.63% to 4.67%. Even these differences do not really indicate actual errors due to the approximation implied in the relaxation method itself using a coarser grid.This distribution of the hydraulic head across a vertical section is assumed parabolic. Although Polubarinova-Kochina presented a mathematical proof which leads to the same conclusion, yet for the reasons explained in the text, the writer preferred to use this type of distribution as a valid physical assumption.The results of the analysis of each single well are applied to determine the pattern of the interference between several gravity wells. By means of the presented approach, the resultant values of the depths of saturation can be obtained on the basis of the explained restricted procedure, of superposition. The hydraulic potential distribution within the flow medium of a multiple gravity well system can also be obtained. The assumption of the parabolic hydraulic head distribution is maintained in analyzing a group of wells. It is recommended to establish a proper computer program covering a grid system that encompasses all the wells and their individual influence regions in a certain well field.In the entire analysis, Dupuit's assumptions are eliminated. However, the two main assumptions in the given analysis are: (a) the parabolic distribution of the hydraulic head across a vertical section within the flow medium, and (b) the elimination of the circumferential velocities. These two introduced assumptions are -i in the writer's opinion – practically valid.

Notizen: Carbonate aquifers with highly developed anisotropic permeabilities and other fractured rocks under water-table or semiwater-table conditions present complex hydrologic settings in which to predict the sustained yield of individual wells or groups of wells. Yields of wells in these settings are particularly responsive to the position of the water level and its relationship to one or more producing zones. Often a well's total capacity may be accounted for by one or more openings encountered in drilling which are separated by varying thicknesses of essentially nonproductive rock. A well s yield is determined more by the position of the water table with respect to these openings than to the proportion of saturated rock penetrated by the well bore.A permeability profile must be defined for. these wells along with their available drawdown, and the inclination of water-yielding openings. Permeability profiles may be roughly estimated from detailed driller's logs and caliper logs, and more precisely determined from flow meter surveys; packer tests and by pumping wells after successive increments of drilling or by a combination of increasing casing lengths and extended drilling. Available drawdown is dependent upon the inclination and position of significant water-yielding openings exposed within the bore hole and seasonal variations in the water-table position. In gently dipping carbonate rocks openings may follow bedding planes or selected beds favoring conduit development. Where this is known to be the case, pumping levels may be allowed to approach the top o.f one or another of these zones depending upon which is most productive.Where openings‘are inclined, pumping levels should be kept well above the depth at which the opening was penetrated to minimize the risk of dewatering conduits where they occur higher in elevation adjacent to the well bore compared to where they were penetrated by the well bore, Test holes may be drilled immediately adjacent to the potential production well to define the inclination of individual conduits or wells test pumped when possible at rates sufficient to draw the pumping level to the top of the opening in question. The latter is preferable because reductions in yield can be observed directly as a function of drawdown. To determine available drawdowns in fractured rocks, a permeability or yield profile, the inclination of openings adjacent to the well and seasonal variations in water levels must be known.

Notizen: A field experiment has been installed near Firebaugh in the San Joaquin Valley of California to test submergence of drains as a means of denitrification of ground water. Laboratory and field experiments have shown that denitrification occurs in saturated soil where there is ample organic carbon available for bacterial metabolism. Denitrification and dilution of high nitrate ground water were accomplished in the field.