Groundwater Availability on the Island of Saipan, CNMI
Most of the public water supply on Saipan comes from wells that tap groundwater from the island’s aquifers. The island is small, so the amount of groundwater available is limited. The aquifers also contain saltwater from the ocean, so wells may yield salty water if pumping is excessive, the wells are clustered together, or if droughts cause a reduction in natural groundwater recharge. The USGS Pacific Islands Water Science Center is conducting a study to provide information that is essential for managing Saipan’s groundwater resources.
What is the USGS Study?
The USGS study will (1) review existing data, (2) establish a groundwater monitoring program, (3) estimate groundwater recharge, and (4) assess groundwater availability.
USGS Water Data for the Nation
Water Data for the Nation (WDFN) provides access to water-related data at active and inactive monitoring sites. The USGS has collected water-related data on Saipan since the 1950s.
USGS GeoLog Locator
GeoLog Locator provides access to borehole-geophysical logs. Specific conductance, and temperature profiles in selected deep monitoring wells on Saipan are available since 2018. For Saipan sites, select Northern Mariana Islands, under the States & Territories search criteria.
Introduction to Saipan's Hydrogeology
Saipan is one of 14 islands in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and lies in the tropics of the western Pacific Ocean. Saipan is the largest and most populated island in the CNMI with an area of 48 square miles and an estimated population of about 43,000 in the 2020 U.S. Census.
Click on the images below to learn more about groundwater availability on Saipan.
Rocks that form Saipan’s Aquifers
Water in the Aquifers
Effects of Wells, Droughts, and Land Cover
Most of the public water supply on Saipan comes from wells that tap groundwater from the island’s aquifers. The island is small, so the amount of groundwater available is limited. The aquifers also contain saltwater from the ocean, so wells may yield salty water if pumping is excessive, the wells are clustered together, or if droughts cause a reduction in natural groundwater recharge. The USGS Pacific Islands Water Science Center is conducting a study to provide information that is essential for managing Saipan’s groundwater resources.
What is the USGS Study?
The USGS study will (1) review existing data, (2) establish a groundwater monitoring program, (3) estimate groundwater recharge, and (4) assess groundwater availability.
USGS Water Data for the Nation
Water Data for the Nation (WDFN) provides access to water-related data at active and inactive monitoring sites. The USGS has collected water-related data on Saipan since the 1950s.
USGS GeoLog Locator
GeoLog Locator provides access to borehole-geophysical logs. Specific conductance, and temperature profiles in selected deep monitoring wells on Saipan are available since 2018. For Saipan sites, select Northern Mariana Islands, under the States & Territories search criteria.
Introduction to Saipan's Hydrogeology
Saipan is one of 14 islands in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and lies in the tropics of the western Pacific Ocean. Saipan is the largest and most populated island in the CNMI with an area of 48 square miles and an estimated population of about 43,000 in the 2020 U.S. Census.
Click on the images below to learn more about groundwater availability on Saipan.