Establishing Monitoring Networks in Karst Terrain

Components of Water-Level Monitoring Program  Site selection for observation wells  Frequency of water-level measurements needed for purpose  Implementation of quality-assurance  Establishment of data-reporting and archival process

Site Selection Why Monitor Water Resource?  To establish baseline to measure against future change  To measure variability over time  To quantify water availability over time and over a range of climatic conditions  To incorporate into land-use planning, engineering design  For early-warning (drought) systems

Typically, collection of water-level data over one or more decades is required to compile a hydrologic record that encompasses the potential range of water-level fluctuations in an observation well and to track trends with time. Taylor and Alley, 2001, USGS Circular 1217 Time period for meaningful data

What is the geographic range served by the monitoring network?  Site-specific  Local  Regional  National

LOCAL Jefferson and Berkeley Counties, WV

West Virginia Eastern Panhandle Population Increase from 2000 to 2005 County 2000 population 2005 population Percent increase Jefferson County 42,19049, Berkeley County 75,90593, Morgan County 14,94316,0227.2

Percentage of Population Served by Private Wells  Jefferson County58%  Berkeley County35%

Public Water Supply Dependency on Ground Water  Jefferson County86 %  Berkeley County60%

Functions of ground-water system Local, intermediate, and regional flow systems

Rocks and Water Porous material Fractured rock Well-sorted sand Poorly-sorted sand Primary openings Secondary openings Fractures in Caverns in Granite Limestone

Recharge GW RECHARGE = GW DISCHARGE GW Discharge

Carbonate Rocks of Valley & Ridge

Locally, was the drought of the worst on record?

Need for baseline data to measure against future change  Natural variability occurs on a variety of time scales: daily, monthly, decadal, or longer  Human activities can modify those trends at any of those temporal scales

WATER-LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS CAUSED BY ET FROM GROUND WATER DEPTH TO WATER IN FEET 8AM 9PM

Well Hydrograph Showing Climatic Effects

StateMaps/WV.html

Regional ICPRB network at _supply/groundwater.htm

National USGS national network at

Summary  Ground-water monitoring networks should be designed for intended purpose  Data should be quality-assured and archived for future use  Continuous-data record of at least a decade provides best information  Real-time transmission combined with historical record can give drought status