Well Spacing and Its Impacts on Surface Water Flow in El Paso Lower Valley

In this paper, the authors use an analytical model, GFLOW 2000, to simulate groundwater flow under different pumping conditions, with special emphasis on the analyses of well spacing and their proximity to canals and drains, and the effects of pumping on surface water flow. In the first pumping scenario, new wells and some of the existing wells were included in the model under pumping stresses of the year 2003. Additional simulations with different pumping stresses and different well spacing were then assumed to evaluate impacts of alternate pumping scenarios. Preliminary results indicate that wells located closer to canals and drains have strong impacts on surface water flow, whereas wells further away from the canals and drains have lesser impacts on surface water flow. When wells in close proximity to canals and laterals are pumped, seepage from unlined canals and laterals is significantly increased and some of drains can also dry up.