IDWR returns for well measurements

By Nate Poppino, Times-News writer
Friday, October 24, 2008 2:02 PM CDT

BOISE, Idaho - This time, at least, they’ve already met everyone.

The U.S. Geological Survey is again knock on doors across southern Idaho as part of an effort to measure groundwater levels in more than 1,300 wells over the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.

USGS took similar measurements in the first two weeks of April. This fall’s numbers will be combined with that data to provide a picture of the aquifer before and after the 2008 irrigation system. It will also help recalibrate the aquifer model the state uses to track underground flows and resolve water disputes, said Sean Vincent, hydrology section manager for the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

USGS employees will carry official identification with them when they visit private property, and will talk briefly with well owners about any changes made to their wells since spring. They’ll use steel tape or electronic water-level meters to measure water levels.

The two agencies value the access to private property, Vincent said, and were able to work with landowners to get access to all the wells on their list in April.

“The word I got was that there was a great deal of cooperation on the part of well owners,” Vincent said.

The data is only one part of ongoing efforts to revise the aquifer model, which has been criticized by some water users as exacerbating current water problems. IDWR is re-examining how the model is compiled, Vincent said, and could refine information on how much water flows into the aquifer, and from where. Regular predictions made using the model will also increase from twice a year to once a month, requiring a more-detailed model, he said.

IDWR will study and apply the well measurements to the model next year.

The agency’s last mass-measurement campaign came in 2002. Officials plan to repeat the current study every five years, Vincent said. This year’s study was paid for as part of a $557,000 special fiscal-year 2008 legislative appropriation. IDWR will spend just a portion of that amount, Vincent said. Future measurements may be financed by a $20 million appropriations package for water projects.

This month’s study will last until Oct. 31.

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