Model and field studies to manage saline shallow water tables in the lower Arkansas Valley, Colorado

Salinity and waterlogging problems plague the lower Arkansas River Valley in Colorado. Evaluating economic and environmental outcomes of best management practices (BMP's) to alleviate these problems is difficult because the system is hydrologically and legally complex; therefore, the problems previously have not been analyzed on a large scale. The goal of this project is to address this growing need and conduct an investigation that will fulfill, on a sub-regional scale, two main purposes: (1) describe the high water table and salinity problems within the basin through intensive data collection and analysis, and (2) prescribe solutions to the problems through detailed modeling of alternatives. This report presents preliminary results from a model of steady-state flow and salt transport in the shallow unconfined alluvial aquifer. The extensive field data collection effort, along with initial findings and analysis, are also discussed and presented.