“That’s Not A Levee Boil !” or “How to do more with less” By Glen Pearson, Northern District 2005 Annual Geology and Groundwater Meeting Geology and Groundwater Meeting Marconi Center November 15-17, 2005.

It was the Best of Times and It was the Worst of Times

It was Good - because I was young and enthusiastic; It was bad - because Funding was Tight

Sacramento River Seepage Investigation

Study Objectives Identify the Extent and Causes of Saturated Ground from the Sacramento River to the Colusa Basin Drain. Define Alternative Solutions. Document Findings in a Summary Report

Previous Studies USBR Seepage Investigations Seepage Survey of 1952 – U.C. Extension DWR Sacramento River Seepage Investigation DWR Sacramento River Seepage Investigation DWR Colusa Basin Drain Investigation 1964 USBR Seepage and Drainage Investigation 1980

Location Map Seepage Study Area N

Seepage Study Areas –

Erdman Study Area (Borrowed Flight) Erdman Study Area (Borrowed Flight) Colusa Basin Drain Sacramento River

Study Participants California Department of Water Resources U. S. Bureau of Reclamation U.S.D.A. – Soil Conservation Service (now NRCS) Colusa County Resource Conservation District

What Did We Do?

Visit the Site - Zone 2 Levee Road (looking North) Visit the Site - Zone 2 Levee Road (looking North) Sacramento River – Flood Stage River Seepage

From Zone 2 Levee Road (looking West over Prune Ochard) From Zone 2 Levee Road (looking West over Prune Ochard) Note Clear Water

From Zone 2 Levee Road (looking West over Prune Ochard) From Zone 2 Levee Road (looking West over Prune Ochard) Seepage

From Zone 2 Levee Road (Prune Ochard w/ Drain System) From Zone 2 Levee Road (Prune Ochard w/ Drain System) No Seepage

Geologic Map ( From Soils Mapping & Confirmed by Harwood and Helly, 1985) Geologic Units Orange = Flood Plain Deposits Dark Green = Flood Basin Deposits Lime Green = Flood Channel Deposits Light Green = Younger Basin Deposits Pink = Older Basin Deposits

1985 Land Use Map 1985 Land Use Map Legend Lite Green = Rice Yellow = Fallow Lite Blue = Wheat Turquoise = Sugar Beets Brown = Row Crops Dark Greens = Orchard Reds = Safflower & vines

Sacramento River Stream Gage Winter 1986 Sacramento River Stream Gage Winter 1986

Staff Gage in Drain (Monitoring Drain Water Levels – scrounged 2X4) Staff Gage in Drain (Monitoring Drain Water Levels – scrounged 2X4)

SCS – Truck Mounted Auger Monitoring Well Installation SCS – Truck Mounted Auger Monitoring Well Installation

SCS Trailer Mounted Auger Monitoring Well Installation SCS Trailer Mounted Auger Monitoring Well Installation

USBR Contractor – Hollow Stem Auger USBR Contractor – Hollow Stem Auger

USBR Contractor – Hollow Stem Auger Is This A Fat Clay? USBR Contractor – Hollow Stem Auger Is This A Fat Clay?

Developing Wells With Landowner’s Air Compressor

Backwater from Colusa Basin Drain & Monitoring Well Installation Backwater from Colusa Basin Drain & Monitoring Well Installation Monitoring Well Colusa Basin Drain

Installed Monitoring Wells w/ Borrowed Stevens F-Type recorders

Shallow Zone Aquifer Test 120 Ft deep extraction well 120 Ft deep observation well Hand Augered 20 Ft deep Obs. well

Monitoring Well Location Map Types of Wells Shallow (Augered 20 Ft +/-) Intermediate (HS 40 Ft +/-) Deep (Rotary 120 Ft +/-) Private (Dom – 150 +/-; Irr – 300 +/-)

July 22, 1985 GW flow Towards or Parallel to the Sacramento River Depth to Groundwater Red = 0-2 feet Green = 2-5 feet Yellow = Greater than 5 feet

December 12, 1985 GW flow Towards the Sacramento River (No Rain, No Irrigation, Low Flow ) Depth to Groundwater Red = 0-2 feet Green = 2-5 feet Yellow = Greater than 5 feet

February 20, 1986 GW flow Away from the Sacramento River Depth to Groundwater Red = 0-2 feet Green = 2-5 feet Yellow = Greater than 5 feet

March 22, 1986 GW flow is Away from Sacramento River Depth to Groundwater Red = 0-2 feet Green = 2-5 feet Yellow = Greater than 5 feet

April 16, 1986 GW flow is Away from Sacramento River Depth to Groundwater Red = 0-2 feet Green = 2-5 feet Yellow = Greater than 5 feet

May 15, 1986 GW flow Towards or Parallel to the Sacramento River Depth to Groundwater Red = 0-2 feet Green = 2-5 feet Yellow = Greater than 5 feet

Possible Alternatives Improve Sacramento River Operations Improve Local Surface Water Drainage Well Point –Shallow Wells with Conjunctive Use –Farm Subsurface Drainage Systems –Regional Collectors Perforated Pipe Open Ditch

Study Alternatives Alternative 1 –Pump Discharge to Colusa Basin Drain Alternative 1 –Pump Discharge to Sacramento River & Colusa Basin Drain Alternative 3 –Gravity Conveyance & Pump Discharge to Sacramento River Alternative 4 –Gravity Conveyance & Discharge to Colusa Basin Drain, and Pump Discharge to Sacramento River

A Solution Relief Wells & Subsurface Drains to Colusa Basin Drain

A Solution Subsurface Drains w/ Water Pumped into Sacramento River

During Drought Studies Terminated 1997 Flood Event - Reports from Colusa County About Boils All Along Toe of Levees

Lessons Learned Seepage is a Groundwater Problem There is a lot you can do without spending a lot of money You can use CDEC to determine sampling times Partnering with others can pool resources Having Landowners Cooperation is worth its weight in Gold Use Existing Data and Make Decisions on the Data that are available. Why We Get Paid the Big Bucks.

When You Are District Chief of the Northern District….. There is No Job Too Small or Insignificant.