The Power of Networks: Increasing the Visibility of Local Groundwater Resources

A growing number of communities and organizations are deploying water-level sensors in well networks designed to provide greater information about the spatial and temporal distribution of their groundwater resources. The goals of these networks may range from providing a basic understanding of the availability of water from their aquifer to focusing on immediate or emerging threats to groundwater availability. Development of these local networks is being encouraged by the relatively low cost and high capabilities of a new generation of water-level sensors, and the efficiencies and opportunities of data management in the cloud. The water-level data generated by these local networks have great value to local interests where other data are sparse; and the data from these local networks complement (at a greater resolution) data from monitoring networks established by state and federal agencies. A growing network sponsored by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources (the state geological survey) is an example of the value of local groundwater-level networks in increasing the visibility and understanding of local groundwater resources. This talk will suggest best practices in starting a network, recruiting participants, and using the data to address local flow patterns, risks to the resource and opportunities for utilization.