National Ground Water Association

1

Ground Water Level and Quality
Monitoring National Ground Water
Association Presentation for Advisory
Committee on Water Information January 19, 2006
2
NGWA Vision

• To be the leading community of ground water
• professionals that promotes the responsible
  development, use and management of
• ground water resources

3
NGWA Mission

• Dedicated to advancing the expertise of all
• ground water professionals and
• to furthering ground water awareness and
• protection through education and outreach.

4
NGWA Programming

• Information Transfer
• Research
• Professional Certification
• Networking
• Public Awareness and Advocacy

5
NGWA Membership
15,455 members as of 10/25/05
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Ground Water

• 25 of total fresh water is ground water 1 is
  surface water and rest is locked in polar ice and
  glaciers
• 47.9 of Americas population uses ground water
  as drinking water source
• 42.4 of countrys irrigation water is ground
  water

7
NGWA Priorities and Activities

• NGWA members and state geologists surveyed
• White paper to agencies and Congress
• Testimony before Senate and House
• Response to White House questions on ground water
  monitoring

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Todays Discussion Agenda

• NGWA ground water supply surveys
• NGWAs response to White House questions on
  ground water quality and quantity monitoring

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The Survey What We Asked

• Type of organization
• Is a ground water supply shortage expected? Why?
• How good is your information?
• What additional information is most important?
• What should the federal government do to help
  meet information gaps?

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State Geologist Response
Research Regulatory Both
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NGWA Member Response
responding 1 2 3 4 5 6
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NGWA Members Organization Type
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Shortage Forecast Combined Responses
Statewide now Statewide future Urban rural
now Urban now, both future Urban Now Urban
future Rural Now Rural now, both future Urban
and rural future No problems/other No response
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Reasons for Shortages Combined Responses
Quantity Quality Legal Quantity Quality Quant.
Legal All 3 reasons No Shortage
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Information Available State Geologists
Responses

• Most information
• Water level monitoring network (3.36)
• Statewide aquifer maps
• Hydraulic properties
• Water quality
• Water use data
• Consumptive use data (2.96)

• Least information
• Quality monitoring network (2.78)
• Ground water Flow models
• On-line data
• Recharge rates
• 3-D aquifer maps/models
• Artificial recharge opportunities (1.96)

1no information 5met goal
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Knowledge of Ground Water Availability
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Most Important Data to Expand Combined Response

• Accurate Water Use Data
• Water Quality for All Aquifers
• Hydraulic Properties of Major Aquifers
• Ground Water Recharge Rates

18
Most Important Data to Expand Differences in
Response

• State geologists highlighted the need to expand
  statewide aquifer mapping
• NGWA members highlighted the need for on-line
  aquifer data

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Top 5 Desired Federal Actions

• Increase funding for cooperative ground water
  quantity data collection
• Increase funding for cooperative ground water
  quality data collection
• Increase funding for aquifer mapping
• Increase ground water availability research

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Top 5 Desired Federal Actions (cont.)

• State geologists 5 Fund public education and
  outreach on water conservation
• NGWA members 5 Develop a national ground water
  clearinghouse

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Survey Conclusions

• Most states are experiencing at least local
  shortages now.
• Most states have at least a reasonable estimate
  of the potential yield of major aquifers.
• Few states have met any goals in collecting any
  type of ground water data.

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Survey Conclusions (cont.)

• Priorities for collecting more data parallel
  types of data already being collected, perhaps
  because goals are not met.
• Cooperative federal and state programs for ground
  water data collection favored

23
Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality

• Report released early 2005
• Questions posed to NGWA

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Questions Posed to NGWA

• What information needs does long-term ground
  water quality and quantity monitoring address?
• What are the long-term ground water monitoring
  needs?
• What should the federal role be as regards
  long-term quality and quantity ground water
  monitoring?

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Questions Posed to NGWA cont.

• How does the federal government integrate its
  role with private sector, local and state
  government monitoring efforts?
• What are the priority actions that the federal
  government should take relative to long-term
  quality and quantity ground water monitoring?

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Why Undertake Long Term Ground Water Monitoring?

• Assess the resources ability to support
  population growth and development
• Help design and assess effectiveness of mgmt and
  protection programs
• Identify short and long-term changes to ground
  water
• Identify artificial ground water recharge
  opportunities

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Why Undertake Long Term Ground Water Monitoring
cont.

• Assess ground water and surface water
  interactions
• Provide data for modeling
• Provide a more accurate estimate of actual ground
  water withdrawals

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What Are the Long-Term Monitoring Needs?

• National ground water quality monitoring
  network
• National ground water level monitoring network

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What Is the Federal Role?

• Support a collaborative framework (Ground Water
  Monitoring Subcommittee under ACWI raised as
  possible framework)
• Develop guidelines for data collection, quality
  control, storage and retrieval

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What Is the Federal Role? cont.

• Provide federal funding for cooperative
  monitoring network development and operation
• Establish a national clearinghouse

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How to Optimize and Leverage Resources?

• Federal government is glue to hold collective
  efforts together
• States should develop state ground water
  availability and quality picture
• Private sector firms should perform exploratory
  drilling and install monitoring wells

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What Should Federal Priorities Be?

• Federal funding of cooperative ground water
  quantity monitoring
• Federal funding of cooperative ground water
  quality monitoring

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What Should Federal Priorities Be? cont.

• Others
• Demonstrating a commitment to collaborative
  ground water quality and quantity data collection
  
• Ensuring the availability of quality data at
  appropriate scale
• Supporting research and development
• Promoting public education and outreach

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Thank you!

• Robert Masters and David Wunsch
• National Ground Water Association
• 601 Dempsey Rd
• Westerville, OH 43081
• 800/551-7379, ext. 560
• 614/898-7786 fax
• rmasters_at_ngwa.org