World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2018
Conjunctive Use Strategies to Compensate for Reservoir Sedimentation: Salinas, Puerto Rico
Publication: World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2018: Hydraulics and Waterways, Water Distribution Systems Analysis, and Smart Water
ABSTRACT
A conjunctive use strategy is described for the 104 year-old Patillas Reservoir on the south coast of Puerto Rico, which has lost 57% of its storage capacity to a combination of sedimentation (39%) plus forced drawdown due to dam safety concerns (18%). A new reservoir operating rule is described which offsets storage loss by allowing the diversion, on average, of 11% of reservoir inflow for storage by aquifer recharge in Salinas Municipality. Salinas is 100% dependent on groundwater for municipal water supply, and experienced water rationing (intermittent service) during the 2015 drought in the face of increasing dissolved solids, attributed to saline intrusion. Of 7.8 mm3/yr diverted to recharge, only 0.6 mm3/yr comes from reduced reservoir firm yield while the remaining 7.2 mm3/yr represents reduced spills to the Caribbean Sea.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Portions of this work were supported by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Water Plan Office.
REFERENCES
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Information & Authors
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Published In
World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2018: Hydraulics and Waterways, Water Distribution Systems Analysis, and Smart Water
Pages: 327 - 334
Editor: Sri Kamojjala, Las Vegas Valley Water District
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8142-4
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: May 31, 2018
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