Chambers-Clover Model

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9722-CJ2 - Characterization and Numerical Simulation of the Water Resources in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed, Pierce County, Washington

Problem - In 1998, the Washington State Legislature established the Washington State Watershed Management Act (codified under RCW 90.82) to address diminishing water availability and quality and the loss of critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Watershed planning under this Act was started in 1998 in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed (CCCW) Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA 12) by a group of Initiating Governments, including Pierce County, the City of Tacoma, the Puyallup Tribe, and the Lakewood Water District. Upon completion of the Technical Assessment, and during preparation of the Watershed Management Plan, some members of the Initiating Governments and other project partners concluded that data gaps in the Technical Assessment would limit the usefulness of the plan. Planning Unit members and stakeholders have asked the USGS Washington Water Science Center to help design and conduct a study, including the construction of a numerical ground-water flow model, to address remaining data gaps and assist in the development of a long-term watershed management plan for the CCCW.

Objectives - The major objectives of the study are to characterize the ground-water flow system in the CCCW and its interaction with associated surface-water features, and to integrate this information into a numerical ground-water flow model to assist water resource managers in the development of a long-term watershed management plan. This study also will create project management tools to facilitate communication between project partners and stakeholders, and to establish consistent methods and practices among project participants for project data collection, QA/QC, and archiving.

Relevance and Benefits - This study is consistent with the national USGS mission and goals and to water-resource issues identified in the Center's Science Plan. The study addresses ground-water availability and sustainability, and surface-water and ground-water interactions as related to water-resource management, which are priority issues for both the Strategic Directions of the Water Resources Division 1999-2008 and the USGS Washington Water Science Center's Science Plan. This study also will provide resources managers in the CCCW with a numerical flow model to assist in the development of a long-term watershed management plan to meet the needs of current and future water demands within the watershed, while also working to protect and improve its natural resources. This study is appropriate for inclusion in the USGS Cooperative Program because it will provide information that advances understanding of hydrologic processes.

Approach - A project website and a quality-assurance/quality-control plan will be developed to facilitate communication and methods between project partners and stakeholders. Existing and new ground-water and surface-water data will be compiled and evaluated to characterize the flow system, and entered into the National Water Information System data base. A numerical ground-water flow model will be constructed to simulate potential anthropogenic and climatic impacts on ground-water and surface-water resources, and the model will be transferred to the Planning Unit for assisting development of a long-term watershed management plan.