| Director: |
Ginger Davis |
| Other Researchers: |
Dana Bissey,
Ben Romlein,
McKailey Sabaj,
|
| Funding: |
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN)
|
| Issue: |
According to the Indiana Active Water Level Network maintained by the USGS (http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/StateMap.asp?sa=IN&sc=18), there are 68 wells in Indiana where trend/backbone monitoring is being conducted. The work proposed herein seeks to increase the number of high-frequency trend monitoring sites by adding additional wells to the NGWMN in Indiana. Furthermore, most of the proposed sites include micrometeorological and vadose-zone soil-moisture monitoring components that strengthen the value of such sites from a trend-identification perspective. |
| Objective: |
Groundwater-elevation data are collected primarily to determine how groundwater levels are changing over time. The data from sites with continuous/high-frequency water-level records are also used to assess groundwater-recharge dynamics for various hydrogeologic settings. |
| Approach: |
Groundwater-level data are typically logged on hourly time intervals using non-vented pressure transducers and downloaded during monthly or bi-monthly site visits. Manual depth-to-water measurements are also collected during site visits. Groundwater-level data are barometrically compensated using site-specific barometric pressure data that are also logged using hourly time intervals. The daily corrected data are converted from water-column depth measurements to groundwater elevations based on a linear relationship established using matched pairs of manual-measured elevations and compensated pressure transducer water-column data. The daily groundwater elevation data are compiled and stored in spreadsheets, and hydrographs are plotted along with hand-measured groundwater elevations for quality assurance and quality control purposes. |
| Products: |
We will address three NGWMN program objectives during the proposed two-year project period |
| Benefits: |
Long-term groundwater elevation data for several aquifers in Indiana.
Finding the hydraulic parameters of the hosting aquifers.
Describing the collected cores from well drilling, and make them available to public. |
