A DISCRETE KERNEL SIMULATION-MODEL FOR CONJUNCTIVE MANAGEMENT OF A STREAM AQUIFER SYSTEM

A stream-aquifer simulation model was developed to conduct a conjunctive use management study in the South Platte River in Colorado. This model simulates both the physical and operational behavior of the system. The physical system modeled is comprised of the river and the saturated and unsaturated zones of the aquifer. A technique referred to as the 'discrete kernel approach' was used to model the saturated zone of the aquifer. This technique is based on the classical Green's function method of solution of partial differential equations. The physical simulator was coupled to an allocation model which simulates the operational behavior of the system. The management model was applied to conduct a conjunctive use study involving the evaluation of a stream flow augmentation scheme. A summary of the results of this case study is presented.