Elbert County, Colorado relies heavily on nonrenewable groundwater from the Denver Basin aquifers for water supply. Population growth in the county has placed increasing demands on groundwater resources, and future groundwater withdrawals are expected to increase as the population continues to grow.
A detailed program to monitor groundwater levels in the Denver Basin aquifers throughout the county is needed to assist the Elbert County Board of Commissioners with making informed policy decisions about limited groundwater resources.
This project will establish a well network for long-term monitoring of groundwater levels in the Denver Basin aquifers throughout Elbert County and to use the network to collect groundwater-level data for a minimum of 3 years. Approximately 30 existing well sites throughout the county will be identified for the network and bi-monthly water- level measurements will be made through the end of 2012. In addition, approximately 15 sites, three within each district, will be equipped with vented pressure transducers and data loggers set to record water levels on a daily basis.
Elbert County groundwater data collection history:
- Historical water-level data collection for Denver Basin bedrock aquifers has been irregular, and water-level monitoring efforts have decreased since the 1980s.
- The first comprehensive measurements of water levels across the basin were made by the USGS from 1956 to 1963 and published by McConaghy and others (1964).
- A second comprehensive set of water-level data for the bedrock and alluvial aquifers through 1981 was published by Major and others (1983).
- Routine water-level measurements by the USGS continued through the 1980s, were incorporated into the Robson (1987) groundwater flow model, and are available through the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/).
- The USGS NWIS data were used for model calibration by recent USGS modeling efforts (Paschke, 2011).
- A water-level monitoring network of approximately 278 wells was established in the 1980s by the CDWR, and data from that network are published in annual data reports.
- A compilation and bibliography of all available water-level data for bedrock and alluvial aquifers through 2004 was published as part of the South Platte Decision Support System (SPDSS; Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2004, 2006).
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Biosolids, soils, crops, ground water, and streambed sediments in the vicinity of a biosolids-application area near Deer Trail, Colorado
Groundwater Data for Colorado
The USGS annually monitors groundwater levels in thousands of wells in the United States. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Groundwater-Level Elevations in the Denver Basin Bedrock Aquifers of Elbert County, Colorado, 2015–18
Well installation, single-well testing, and particle-size analysis for selected sites in and near the Lost Creek Designated Ground Water Basin, north-central Colorado, 2003-2004
Groundwater mining of bedrock aquifers in the Denver Basin - Past, present, and future
The Kiowa core, a continuous drill core through the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers at Kiowa, Elbert County, Colorado
Study-area boundary for "Structure, outcrop, and subcrop of the bedrock aquifers along the western margin of the Denver Basin, Colorado." Hydrologic Atlas 742
Bedrock aquifers in the Denver basin, Colorado; a quantitative water-resources appraisal
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Elbert County, Colorado relies heavily on nonrenewable groundwater from the Denver Basin aquifers for water supply. Population growth in the county has placed increasing demands on groundwater resources, and future groundwater withdrawals are expected to increase as the population continues to grow.
A detailed program to monitor groundwater levels in the Denver Basin aquifers throughout the county is needed to assist the Elbert County Board of Commissioners with making informed policy decisions about limited groundwater resources.
This project will establish a well network for long-term monitoring of groundwater levels in the Denver Basin aquifers throughout Elbert County and to use the network to collect groundwater-level data for a minimum of 3 years. Approximately 30 existing well sites throughout the county will be identified for the network and bi-monthly water- level measurements will be made through the end of 2012. In addition, approximately 15 sites, three within each district, will be equipped with vented pressure transducers and data loggers set to record water levels on a daily basis.
Elbert County groundwater data collection history:
- Historical water-level data collection for Denver Basin bedrock aquifers has been irregular, and water-level monitoring efforts have decreased since the 1980s.
- The first comprehensive measurements of water levels across the basin were made by the USGS from 1956 to 1963 and published by McConaghy and others (1964).
- A second comprehensive set of water-level data for the bedrock and alluvial aquifers through 1981 was published by Major and others (1983).
- Routine water-level measurements by the USGS continued through the 1980s, were incorporated into the Robson (1987) groundwater flow model, and are available through the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/).
- The USGS NWIS data were used for model calibration by recent USGS modeling efforts (Paschke, 2011).
- A water-level monitoring network of approximately 278 wells was established in the 1980s by the CDWR, and data from that network are published in annual data reports.
- A compilation and bibliography of all available water-level data for bedrock and alluvial aquifers through 2004 was published as part of the South Platte Decision Support System (SPDSS; Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2004, 2006).
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Biosolids, soils, crops, ground water, and streambed sediments in the vicinity of a biosolids-application area near Deer Trail, Colorado
The Metro Wastewater Reclamation District (Metro District) applies biosolids throughout their properties (the MetroGro Farm) near Deer Trail, Colorado. These biosolids applications could affect the quality of water in alluvial and bedrock aquifers, streambed sediment, soil, dust, and crops. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a monitoring program to address concerns from a stakeholder group... - Data
Groundwater Data for Colorado
The USGS annually monitors groundwater levels in thousands of wells in the United States. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Groundwater-Level Elevations in the Denver Basin Bedrock Aquifers of Elbert County, Colorado, 2015–18
Public and domestic water supplies in Elbert County, Colorado, rely on groundwater withdrawals from five bedrock aquifers in the Denver Basin aquifer system (lower Dawson, upper Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills) to meet water demands. Increased pumping in response to regional population growth and development has led to declining groundwater levels in neighboring Douglas County. TheWell installation, single-well testing, and particle-size analysis for selected sites in and near the Lost Creek Designated Ground Water Basin, north-central Colorado, 2003-2004
This report describes results from a groundwater data-collection program completed in 2003-2004 by the U.S. Geological Survey in support of the South Platte Decision Support System and in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Two monitoring wells were installed adjacent to existing water-table monitoring wells. These wells were installed as well pairs with existing wells to charaGroundwater mining of bedrock aquifers in the Denver Basin - Past, present, and future
The Denver Basin bedrock aquifer system is an important source of water for municipal and agricultural uses in the Denver and Colorado Springs metropolitan areas. The Denver area is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States with a population of 1.2 million in 1960 that has increased to over 2.4 million by 2000. This rapid population growth has produced a corresponding increase in demanThe Kiowa core, a continuous drill core through the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers at Kiowa, Elbert County, Colorado
The Kiowa core was obtained as a component of the Denver Basin Project, a cooperative research effort to study the evolution of the Denver Basin, Colorado. The Kiowa core provides a virtually continuous stratigraphic record of the Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary strata of the Denver Basin. The upper portion of the core recovered strata conventionally referred to as the Arapahoe and Denver FormStudy-area boundary for "Structure, outcrop, and subcrop of the bedrock aquifers along the western margin of the Denver Basin, Colorado." Hydrologic Atlas 742
This digital geospatial data set consists of outlines of the study area in the report "Structure, Outcrop, and Subcrop of the Bedrock Aquifers Along the Western Margin of the Denver Basin, Colorado" (Robson and others, 1998).Bedrock aquifers in the Denver basin, Colorado; a quantitative water-resources appraisal
The Denver metropolitan area is experiencing a rapid population growth that is requiring increasing supplies of potable water to be pumped from bedrock aquifers in order to meet demand. In an effort to determine the ability of the aquifers to continue to meet this demand, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, and Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.