About well monitoring
On This Page:
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The importance of well monitoring
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Wells on campus
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Monitoring procedures
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Interpreting well data
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Other resources and related links
The importance of well monitoring
Understanding the properties of subsurface waters is critical in making informed water resource management decisions. Thorough monitoring procedures allow scientists to:
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Identify and track groundwater contaminants
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Understand the impact of municipal or private removal of groundwater
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Track long-term changes in groundwater and compare this data with climate or water use practices
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Alley, W.M. (2007) The importance of monitoring to groundwater management. In Holiday, L., Martin, L., & Vaux,
H. (Ed.), Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Mexico (pp. 76-84). Washington, DC, MA: The National Academies Press.
Monitoring procedures
Hydrostatic well height was recorded manually for two campus wells approximately every three weeks beginning January 23, 2018.
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A data logger device was installed in the well located near the softball fields and programmed to record data every hour beginning June 22, 2017. Well height, salinity, and temperature data were collected and recorded. On May 9, 2018, the data logger was recalibrated to reflect manual hydrostatic well height readings. A small break in the data exists between 12:00 May 7, 2018 and 13:00 May 9, 2018. This data was lost during the recalibration process.
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This information and precipitation data retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service were compared, and this graph was created. The graph depicts the relationship between well height and precipitation events.
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Interpreting well data
What is hydrostatic well height?
Hydrostatic well height refers to the distance between a fixed point at the top of the well head to the water's surface inside the well. As the water level rises, this value will decrease.
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Determining Conductivity and Transmissivity using the Hvorslev slug-test method.
This slug test measures the rate at which a known volume of water diffuses into the aquifer when added to a well. With this rate and known well parameters, the following values can be determined:
Hydraulic conductivity: The ease with which a fluid moves through a porous surface; in this case, an aquifer.
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Transmissivity: The rate water flows horizontally through the aquifer. This value is the product of the hydraulic conductivity and the thickness of the aquifer. (Aquifer thickness was determined to be approximately 10 feet based on this report.)
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The detailed method used to determine these values is reported in this pdf document.
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Other resources
TX Water Development Board, Seymour Aquifer
This web page provides general information and reports completed by the TWDB on the Seymour Aquifer.
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1978 -The Seymour Aquifer: Ground Water Quality and Availability in Haskell and Knox Counties, Texas
This downloadable pdf provides detailed information about the aquifer's qualities, including geology, land use history, and potential sources of contamination.
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