The Issue: Groundwater provides a major source of drinking water for the population of the Kitsap Peninsula. Consequently, as the population grows, so does the demand for groundwater. However, the quantity of usable groundwater is limited, largely because the Peninsula is bounded by seawater and the potential for water-level declines and seawater intrusion increases as groundwater usage increases.
How the USGS will help: The major objectives of the study are to characterize the groundwater-flow system on the Kitsap Peninsula and its interaction with associated surface-water features, and to integrate this information into a numerical groundwater flow model to assist water resource managers in the development of a long-term watershed management plan.
9722-CWQ - Characterization and Numerical Simulation of the Groundwater Resources on the Kitsap Peninsula, Kitsap, Mason, and Pierce Counties, Washington - Completed FY2016
Problem - Groundwater provides a major source of drinking water for the population of the Kitsap Peninsula. Consequently, as the population grows, so does the demand for groundwater. However, the quantity of usable groundwater is limited, largely because the Peninsula is bounded by seawater and the potential for water-level declines and seawater intrusion increases as groundwater usage increases.
Objectives - The major objectives of the study are to characterize the groundwater-flow system on the Kitsap Peninsula and its interaction with associated surface-water features, and to integrate this information into a numerical groundwater flow model to assist water resource managers in the development of a long-term watershed management plan. This study also will create project management tools to facilitate communication between project partners and stakeholders, and to establish consistent methods and practices among project participants for project data collection, QA/QC, and archiving.
Relevance and Benefits - This study is consistent with the national USGS mission and goals and to water-resource issues identified in the USGS Science Strategy. The study addresses groundwater availability and sustainability, which is a priority issue under the Water Census of the United States as outlined in Facing Tomorrow's challenges: USGS Science in the Decade 2007-2017. This study also will provide resource managers on the Kitsap Peninsula with a numerical flow model to assist in the development of a long-term watershed management plan to meet the needs of current and future water demands within the watershed, while also working to protect and improve its natural resources. This study is appropriate for inclusion in the USGS Cooperative Program because it will provide information that advances understanding of hydrologic processes.
Approach - A project website and a quality-assurance/quality-control plan will be developed to facilitate communication and methods between project partners and stakeholders. Existing and new groundwater and surface-water data will be compiled and evaluated to characterize the flow system, and entered into the National Water Information System data base. A numerical groundwater-flow model will be constructed to simulate potential anthropogenic and climatic impacts on groundwater and surface water resources, and the model will be transferred to the Planning Unit for assisting development of a long-term watershed management plan.
