Analysis of Ground-Water Resources in the Aberdeen area

Executive Summary

The city of Aberdeen is developing plans for sustainable water supply alternatives to address drought conditions and economic expansion. A primary source of surface water for the city is the Elm River with an intake and water treatment plant located about 6 miles northeast of the city. Drought and potential future increases in water use have raised concerns about declining flows in the Elm River and water level declines in the small storage reservoirs and the Elm aquifer. Ground water, used as a supplemental water source, is pumped from the Elm aquifer from a well field located about 2 to 3 miles northwest of the water treatment plant. In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began working in cooperation with the City of Aberdeen to collect and analyze data to better understand ground-water resources in the Aberdeen area.

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to characterize the hydrogeology of the Elm aquifer, design a monitoring network, characterize glacial sediments using geophysical techniques, and develop water budgets for a control volume of the Elm aquifer. Products of this study include a USGS scientific investigation report that would include a description of the thickness of the hydrogeologic units, hydraulic properties, aquifer water levels, geophysical properties of glacial sediments, aquifer testing, and conceptual model analysis.

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