DESCRIPTION
The Dungeness Flow Enhancement Recharge and Storage project assessed the feasibility of storing and recharging water at a variety of locations and developed designs for construction at four project sites. The overall objective was to identify projects that use off stream storage or aquifer recharge to provide benefit to stream flow during the low flow period of the Dungeness River and small streams. The concept behind the aquifer recharge projects is to infiltrate Dungeness River water during the spring time when flows are high into the shallow aquifer in order to benefit stream flow later in the year when stream flows are low and out of stream needs peak. The general concept with storing water is to divert high spring flows into a reservoir and to have irrigators rely on this water during the late season in lieu of river water. Both recharge and reservoirs are integral components of comprehensive irrigation improvement projects in the Dungeness Watershed and the goal of this project was to pilot some of these new strategies as tools to restore stream flow restoration. The project included a feasibility study first and then design and engineering for four project sites. All projects are located in the Dungeness watershed North of Highway 101 near Sequim, WA.
Seventy one parcels that were grouped into 31 potential sites were assessed in the feasibility portion of this project (see attached screening memo and matrix). Criteria used to evaluate sites included: soils, surficial geology, surface-water bodies, modeled aquifer properties well logs, flow augmentation predictions, and mounding predictions. The key limiting factors for infiltration at the proposed project sites were low permeability, limited freeboard and access to irrigation ditch water. Following the initial screening the sites were ranked against each other so that project implementers could consider the comparative characteristics of each site. Several of the sites were eliminated from consideration because of unfavorable soils and/or surficial geology. A project team met several times throughout the project period to provide feedback to the consultants and discuss the merits of potential sites. The project team consisted of Amanda Cronin (WWT- project lead), Joe Holtrop (Clallam Conservation District), Kelly Cahill (Engineer under contract with Clallam Conservation District), Gary Smith (Dungeness Water Users Association), Carol Creasey (hydrogeologist Clallam County), Ann Soule (hydrogeologist City of Sequim), Peter Schwartzman (hydrogeologist with Pacific Groundwater Group) and Dave Rice (Engineer Anchor QEA).
Our goal was to produce 2-4 project designs that could be moved forward for implementation with at least one of these being a final design. We have completed 4 total designs and 1 of them is a final design. The projects selected to move forward to final design included: the Weber-Gilchrist infiltration site, the Berger-Dawley infiltration site, the Carlsborg/Jakeway infiltration site and the DNR, River Road Storage site. The Weber-Gilgrist, Berger-Dawley, and Carlsborg/Jakeway sites are all associated with Worksite #1 Casselary Subbasin Recharge Sites. The DNR, River Road Storage Site is associated with Worksite #2 and replaced the Mitchell Quinn storage site as it was found to have a much better benefit to stream flow. The Carlsborg/Jakeway site was completed to the final design phase. The Berger Dawley site is very near final design and could be complete with some additional testing. The amount of stream flow benefit for each site is predicted as follows:
Weber-Gilchrist infiltration site: .033 cfs
Berger-Dawley infiltration site: .225 cfs
Carlsborg/Jakeway infiltration site :.5 cfs
DNR storage site: 28.6 cfs