frac sand mining in wisconsin - wordpress.com...• wisconsin geological & natural history...
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Frac sand mining in WisconsinFocus on groundwater…
Madeline Gotkowitz, Mike Parsen
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• Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey
• Groundwater, wells and streams
• Industrial sand mining and groundwater
Topics
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Wisconsin Geological Survey
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Where does groundwater come from?
Recharge occurs everywhere on the landscape, not just the uplands…
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Pumping lowers the water table
The well causes a cone of depression and reduces discharge somewhere…
Pumping can sometimes change the direction of groundwater flow
Source: Alley, Reilly, and Franke, USGS Circular 1186 (1999)
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The water table responds to the weather
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CA-6
OU-326Slope of line is 3 feet per year
Over‐pumping can lower the water table
Fox River Valley (3 ft/yr)
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1940 1949 1959 1969 1979 1989 1999
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Racine County
Kenosha CountySlope of line is 7 feet /year
Milwaukee County
Waukesha County
Southeast Wisconsin (7 ft/yr)
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USGS Circular 1139 (1998)
Groundwater discharge is easy to see in Wisconsin
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Aquifers can be stacked on top of each other, and may be “confined” or “unconfined”
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Sand mining process1.Removal of cover (vegetation, soil, undesirable rock)
Chippewa County, WI
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Are mining operations above or below the groundwater table?
Sand mining process2. Extraction of sand (excavation, dredging)
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Groundwater and recycled water are used to move sand at this site
Crusher
Washer
Sand mining process3. Sand crushed and rough screened
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Photo: Chippewa Co.
Sand mining process4. Sand washed to remove fines (may use flocculants)
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- Infiltration of water (recharge)- Some sites recycle water
better than others- Water for fugitive dust control
Sand mining process5. Processed sand is stored in piles
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Sand mining process6. Drying of sand and further screening7. Sand transported to end user (train, truck, barge)
Photo: Google Maps
Photo: Chippewa Valley Newspapers
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Sand mining process8. Reclamation of mine (may continue 30 years from now)
- Long-term impacts to recharge?- Future water users (irrigation,
development?)
Photo: WI DNR
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• 2,000 – 3,000 gpm needed to wash sand (closed loop system) *
• 150 gpm of groundwater pumped to make up for water loss *– Evaporation– Infiltration– Trucked away with sand
Wash / sedimentation tanks
* Estimate based on 100,000 tons of sand production / month, from Chippewa County
Photo:Chippewa Co.
Hydrologic considerations
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• A well in Wisconsin is “high-capacity if pumping > 70 gpm
• Typical municipal, industrial, or agriculture supply wells pump 100 - 1500 gpm
Hydrologic considerations
MunicipalityLocal Well #
WI. Unique Well #
Aquifer Type
2000 Average
Pump Rate (gpm)
Pump Capacity
(gpm)
Modeled Pump
Rates for Calibration
(gpm)
Modeled Pump Rates for ZOC
determinations (gpm)
Baraboo 7 AR322 Unlithif ied 523 1300 523 650Baraboo 2 BG928 Sandstone 229 650 229 325Baraboo 4 BG929 Sandstone 403 1100 403 550Baraboo 6 BG931 Sandstone 413 1000 413 500Baraboo 8 RX387 Sandstone not in use 1000 0 799
North Freedom 2 BG936 Sandstone 30 300 30 150Rock Springs 1 BG946 Sandstone 0.03 150 0.03 75
Ironton 1 EP387 Sandstone 13 550 13 275LaValle 1 BG932 Sandstone 26 182 26 91
Lake Delton 1 BG951 Sandstone 58 340 58 170Lake Delton 2 EJ765 Sandstone 114 450 114 225Lake Delton 3 EJ766 Sandstone 305 750 305 375Lake Delton 4 EJ767 Sandstone 132 600 132 300
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Photos: WI DNR
• Surface water impacts– Overflow to neighboring
creeks and wetlands
– Water quality
Large overflow to wetlandsOverflow erosion
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Photos: WI DNR
• Recharge– Infiltration ponds
– Reclamation conditions• Topography• Land use• Soil type
• Groundwater withdrawals– Impacts to neighboring wells
– Impacts to baseflow of creeks
Large overflow to wetlandsOverflow erosion
Infiltration ponds receive: Storm water and process water
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• Wisconsin DNR regulates:– High capacity wells
– Surface water impacts
– Stormwater discharge
– Process water discharge– Reclamation plans
(County administered)
• Regulatory concerns:– Adverse impacts to sw
and gw quantity & quality– Contamination from
flocculants - acrylamides(used regularly in waste water treatment)
On-site washing facilityPhoto: Chippewa Co.
Sand pile with water infiltrationPhoto: Chippewa Co.
Hydrologic considerations
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Source: The Groundwater Forum