Discrete Fracture Fluid Flow Simulation of Pumping Tests in a Fractured Rock Mass

ABSTRACT: A site known as RV site, underlain by a fractured granite, which is located eight miles east of Payson, Arizona, was investigated to estimate the long-term water yield of the well field for use in a highway construction project and to assess potential impacts of long-term pumping on the environment. Fractures that were obtained through acoustic televiewer borehole logs were used to build a heterogeneous, anisotropic fracture network for the rock mass. Results of a 24 hour and a 7 day pumping tests, and a 38 day multi-well pumping test were used, respectively to calibrate and validate hydraulic parameters of a finite element discrete fracture fluid flow model. The validated model was then used to simulate pumping exceeding a 7 year period under different scenarios incorporating different sets of boundary conditions and different pumping rates at multi-wells with and without recharge to evaluate the yield of the aquifer and to assess the effect of long-term pumping on the environment.