Using GIS to Determine Ground Water Vulnerability to Contamination: A Case Study at the Huron-Manistee National Forests

Ground water is increasingly recognized as one of our most critical natural resources.  It is necessary to protect this resource on both private and public lands.  The Huron-Manistee National Forests recently acknowledged the need to protect their ground water resources by developing a ground water vulnerability map.

In an unconfined aquifer the sensitivity to contamination relies on a variety of factors that include the hydrologic properties of the land surface, soils, and the aquifer.  Ground water vulnerability maps combine sensitivity with potential contaminant sources, land use, and other land management practices.  The maps display vulnerability/sensitivity based on a rating scale developed by the EPA called DRASTIC.  Most GIS data are readily available from public domain databases or more local site-specific sources. 

Aquifer sensitivity and ground water vulnerability maps can be used for natural resource planning and administration, watershed management, and land use planning.  The maps are limited in that they display relative sensitivity within a location and do not consider current contamination.  Sensitivity and vulnerability maps can be continuously updated as data are refined at smaller scales.  These maps could also be analyzed with current water quality information to enhance the accuracy.