Maintaining dynamic water storage in underground porosity reservoirs

Abstract

An underground porosity reservoir includes substantially impermeable barriers and an aquiclude surrounding a volume of alluvial materials for storing water within the pore spaces of the alluvial materials. Upstream and downstream ends of the reservoir define both a static storage portion (extending below an elevation of the downstream end of the reservoir) and an elevated wedge-shaped portion that extends above the static portion. Once the static portion of the reservoir is filled, additional amounts of water are dynamically stored within the wedge portion by removing water from the downstream end of the reservoir and adding water to the upstream end of the reservoir. Water may be recirculated within the wedge portion, or external water may be added to the upstream end of the reservoir at a first flow rate while water is removed from the downstream end of the reservoir at a similar flow rate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.