Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Optimal Regional Potentiometric Surface Design: Least Cost Water Supply/Sustained Groundwater Yield, Richard C. Peralta, Paul J. Killian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A distributed parameter groundwater management model utilizing quadratic programming to develop an optimal regional steady-state potentiometric surface and its sustained groundwater withdrawal strategy is presented. It minimizes the regional cost of attempting to satisfy the water needs of each finite-difference cell (a) from groundwater and diverted surface water or (b) from groundwater and reduction of water needs achieved by reducing production acreages. Groundwater elevations, withdrawal and recharge are constrained, satisfying legal and hydrologic constraints. The technique is applicable for assuring a regional sustained yield of groundwater in a conjunctive water management setting. It represents the first application of optimization in …

Economic Feasibility Of On‑Farm Reservoirs For Irrigation Water, Robert N. Shulstad, Jayson K. Harper, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Potential Irrigation Water Needs In The Bayou Meto Watershed, Richard C. Peralta, Paul W. Dutram

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Climatic Factors And Still Design On Solar Earth‑Water Distillation For Saturated Sand, Timothy M. Skergan, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Arkansas Groundwater Management Via Target Level, Richard C. Peralta, Ann W. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

AN approach to groundwater management by maintaining "target" groundwater elevations is presented. A finite difference form of the Boussinesq equation is proposed as a means of determining the groundwater withdrawals that will maintain those levels in the long term. This spatially distributed pumping can represent a sustained yielding pumping strategy. A sample pumping strategy is presented for the Arkansas Grand Prairie. Such a strategy is applicable under a variety of legal systems. It represents an especially attractive alternative for riparian rights states (like Arkansas) where effective groundwater management without radical changes in the basic water rights system is desired.

Solar Earth‑Water Distillation For Wet Sand, Richard C. Peralta, Timothy M. Skergan, David B. Marx

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Solar earth-water distillation is a means of extracting moisture from an earth medium. Three designs of the hot-box type of solar earth-water still were tested using wet or saturated sand. The designs included: low height with reflective interior siding, tall height with reflective siding and tall height with absorptive siding. The daily volume of distillate from different designs was compared. A twenty-centimeter-tall still with reflective siding produced significantly greater yields than one twice as tall. No significant difference in the yield between tall stills with light-absorptive versus light reflective interior siding was found. A regression equation was developed to predict …

Using Target Levels To Develop A Sustained Yield Pumping Strategy And Its Applicability In Arkansas, A Riparian Rights State, Richard C. Peralta, Ann W. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Groundwater is the major source of water for consumptive use in Arkansas. Significant pumping is concentrated in areas of agricultural and industrial production. In a number of these areas, including much of the Grand Prairie region of Arkansas, average annual withdrawal from the aquifer exceeds recharge. As a result of this groundwater mining, water levels are dropping. Mining which leads to excessive declines in the water level can accelerate salt water intrusion in an aquifer, cause aquifer compaction, make irrigation economically unfeasible, and eventually disrupt an economy based upon groundwater. Generally, these problems can be prevented or limited by maintaining …

Water For The 21st Century, Will It Be There?, Richard C. Peralta, Ann W. Peralta, Leslie E. Mack

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

One of Arkansas' major water management goals is to provide adequate water for agriculture, the economic mainstay of the state. Effective water management requires inputs from engineering, economics, law, administration, and environmental concern, all in a matrix of public education, participation and communications. Groundwater levels in eastern Arkansas have been dropping for decades as irrigation for rice, other row crops, and fish farming have increased substantially. Additional surface water supplies are available from the adjacent rivers but there are competition, conflict of use, and jurisdictional problems involved. A critical path sequence chart was designed to include all the research steps …

Projected 1992 Groundwater Levels On The Arkansas Grand Prairie, Richard C. Peralta, Aminollah Yazdanian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Arkansas Grand Prairie has been a major rice producing area for most of this century. The irrigation water required for rice, and at the present time, for soybeans, is primarily obtained from a Quaternary aquifer. This extensive formation underlies much of eastern Arkansas as well as parts of other states. Groundwater enters the Grand Prairie region from extensions of the aquifer lying outside of the area. Prolonged pumping of water from the aquifer at a rate exceeding the recharge rate has significantly reduced Quaternary groundwater levels in the Grand Prairie.

Optimizing Conjunctive Use Under Sustained Yield Constraints, Richard C. Peralta, P. Killian, W. D. Dixon

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Distributed parameter groundwater management model utilizing quadratic programming to develop a steady-state potentiometric surface is presented. Minimization of cost of meeting water needs from groundwater and alternative water sources is achieved. Drawdowns, groundwater withdrawal and recharge are all constrained. Applicable for assuring agregiorral sustained yield of groundwater.

Determination Of The Minimum Target Saturated Thickness Needed For Drought Protection In A Critical Cell, Paul W. Dutram, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Grand Prairie region of Arkansas is underlain by a Quaternary aquifer which is utilized primarily for the irrigation of rice and soybeans. Irrigators have been concerned with wells going dry and with decreased well capacities. In this report the term "drawdown" refers to the distance between an arbitrarily assigned datum at or above the ground surface, and the elevation of the groundwater table. The cumulative drawdown (day to day decrease in the groundwater table elevation) resulting from withdrawal of groundwater from interacting wells has caused yields in some wells to be less than design discharge. Drawdown is a function …

Time‑Varient Water Needs Of The Boeuf‑Tensas Basin, Paul W. Dutram, Richard C. Peralta, Paul J. Killian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Grand Prairie Water Supply Project - Phase 1, Richard C. Peralta, Roberto Arce, Timothy M. Skergan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

On the Grand Prairie, rice has required irrigation. Present day economics are favoring irrigation for soybeans as well. Water needs are currently being filled primarily from three sources: rainfall, a Tertiary aquifer and a Quaternary aquifer. Rainfall and rainfall storage meet some of the total water needs. The Tertiary aquifer lies at depths of 750 to 1400 feet beneath the surface of the Grand Prairie. Some water is obtained from the formation, but the outlook for significantly increasing withdrawals is bleak because of the cost involved in drilling new wells. Roughly seventy-five percent of the irrigation water needs are met …

Evaluation And Accessing Of Data For A Water Resources Simulator, Richard C. Peralta, Roberto Arce, Timothy Skergan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This report evaluates the availability of data needed to use a groundwater simulation model for real time conjunctive water management in the Arkansas Grand Prairie. It is assumed that the goal of such management is to protect existing groundwater rights by maintaining water levels so that wells do not go dry, even in time of drought.

Sufficient hydrogeologic data exists to use the simulation model to predict the effect of known pumping rates on groundwater levels. Developing an optimal set of "target" levels and annually managing pumping to achieve those levels requires additional data: fall groundwater levels, degree of connection …

Monitoring Of Groundwater Levels For Real‑Time Conjunctive Water Management, Richard C. Peralta, Vince Mazur, Paul Dutram

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Water users in the Arkansas Grand Prairie wish to maintain sufficient groundwater levels to: insure adequate groundwater reserves for time of drought, protect themselves from litigation caused by wells going dry, and insure a sustained yield. Achievement of these goals requires regular measurement of groundwater levels. Review of monitoring practice and technology indicates that spring and fall measurements taken over the entire area using steel tape and acoustic device is preferred for most long range planning. Continuous monitoring is indicated for critical parts of the region where saturated thicknesses are small. Desirable attributes of a data collection/transmission system for such …

Potential Use Of Arkansas River Water For Irrigation In The Plum Bayou Watershed, Richard C. Peralta, Paul W. Dutram

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Estimated Potential Water Needs For The Eastern Grand Prairie Region By Irrigation Scheduling, Richard C. Peralta, Paul W. Dutram, Paul Killian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Prepare maps showing the annual, monthly and peak weekly volume of irrigation water required in each 3 mile by 3 mile cell of the study area for the selected cropping pattern. Maps are presented for "average" and "dry" climatological conditions.

Coordinating Hydrologic And Legal Systems For Groundwater Management, Richard C. Peralta, Ann W. Peralta, Les E. Mack

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A procedure is presented for developing a hydrologically and legally feasible groundwater management strategy for an area in a "reasonable use" state. Characteristics of the strategy are: Sustained yield, and drought and litigation protection.

Some Possible Solutions To Future Water Needs Of Private Water Systems, Elmer R. Daniel, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Farm Irrigation System Evaluation: A Guide For Management, John L. Merriam, Jack Keller

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This manual describes and explains detailed procedures for field evaluation of the performance of several types of sprinkle, surface, and trickle (drip) irrigation systems and of management practices. Most chapters include lists of equipment needed for performing these evaluations, give step-by-step instructions for gathering data in the field, show sample forms for recording and organizing these field data, and present sample studies that demonstrate the entire process. The book includes analyses and recommendations for a few actual case studies.

The introduction states and explains the general concepts of uniformity, efficiency, and management that are used in evaluating each system and …

Design And Operating Criteria For Rural Water Systems, James E. Garton, Gary L. Goodwin, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Rural homesites in the United States require the availability of high quality water. One means of meeting this need is with the rural water district, a system composed of tank storage and a pipe network serving a number of homes. The tanks are filled by pumping during periods of minimal water use and serve as the immediate water source for homes.

Optimum design requires consideration of not only immediate needs and economic factors but also the possibility of expansion at some future date. Accurate prediction of monthly usage rates is sometimes necessary to set contractural needs. Daily water use per …

Water Quality Enhancement By Point Destratification, Richard C. Peralta, J. E. Garton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.