Effect of Water Rights and Management Policies on a River Alluvial Aquifer

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the water policies and tools that are available to manage water resources in times of water shortages based on the system of appropriation a state has adopted. This was completed by: *comparing the water rights and policies of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. *using MODFLOW to compare the ground water policies of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District. Model simulations show that Oklahoma's water policy can limit the decline of the water table where development is low, but the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District does not. However, as the aquifer becomes more developed, the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District policy would be more sustainable and the aquifer would not be permitted to go dry. This is because the pumping rate of the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District policy is revisited every five years, but the Oklahoma policy is not.