- May 5, 2010: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
- Location: Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall, UC Berkeley
Andrew Fisher [Prof. of Earth & Planetary
Sciences, UC Santa Cruz]
Abstract:
California is highly dependent on groundwater to satisfy fresh water demands, but supplies are increasingly stressed and groundwater in many basins is overdrafted, leading to resource degradation and loss of storage. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is strategy by which excess surface water is infiltrated into the ground in natural or engineered structures, often as part of a broader effort to conjunctively manage and enhance linked surface water and groundwater resources. Running MAR systems requires information on infiltration rates, groundwater levels, and water quality; having access to this information in real time can be helpful in operating MAR systems more efficiently and effectively. In addition, establishing new MAR projects often requires the approval from a variety of resource stakeholders, many of whom find groundwater mechanics and management to be cryptic. Real time access to MAR data may help to engage the public and encourage a commitment to water resource improvement. We present data from an ongoing study of an operating MAR system in central coastal California. A CITRIS seed grant was used to augment this research project by supporting environmental instrumentation and networking, so that field data can be acquired in real time and inform research and MAR activities. We will show examples of field data collected as part of the overall MAR research effort, and preliminary data acquired through the CITRIS environmental sensor network.
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As always, these talks are free, open to the public and broadcast live on-line at mms://media.citris.berkeley.edu/webcast the day and time of the event. Questions can be sent via Yahoo IM to username: citrisevents. Sponsored by Infineon Technologies. The schedule for the spring semester is at http://www.citris-uc.org/events/RE-spring2010.