Awards from First Round of NGWMN Funding
The USGS just completed issuing the awards from the first round of National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) funding. This funding supports ongoing participation in the NGWMN and initiation of data reporting from new states. The following agencies will receive funding to maintain their participation in the network by keeping their data flowing and their sites up to date.
- Texas Water Development Board
- Delaware Geological Survey
- Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
- Utah Geological Survey
- Illinois State Water Survey
Four agencies were selected for projects to become new data providers to the Network. Below is a brief summary of each project:
- New Hampshire Geological Survey – They are proposing a network of 29 trend water-level network sites. They included water-level data collected by New Hampshire USGS in their maps as part of the overall network.
- Maine Geological Survey – They are proposing a network of 23 trend water-level network sites and 10 trend water-quality sites. The approach they are using is a bit unique. They are proposing using data from ME DEP EGAD database that meet set criteria. They expect to have a network of about 40-50 wells that have water-level data for more than 10 years. They will be selecting upgradient sites from EGAD sites. The network was planned with consideration of USGS sites that are being monitored in Maine.
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MNPCA) – Although the Minnesota PCA was a Pilot project participant with the Network, the web services they set up for the Pilot are no longer functional due to database upgrades. So they will be setting up their web services to serve data to the Portal again. Also, the pilot project only focused on the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer. This project will expand their wells in the network to the entire state.
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources – They are proposing a network of 23 trend water-level network sites and 10 trend water-quality sites. The networks are centered primarily in South-Central Alaska at this time.
The NGWMN is a network of ground water wells all across the country monitoring water levels (3828 wells) and water quality (674 wells). You can access the well data through the NGWMN Data Portal.
