Groundwater Information by Topic
Science Center Objects
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resources—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. There is water somewhere beneath your feet no matter where on Earth you live. Groundwater starts as precipitation, just as surface water does, and once water penetrates the ground, it continues moving, sometimes quickly and sometimes very slowly. Eventually groundwater emerges back to the surface and continues to participate in the global water cycle.
The Magic of Groundwater
These kids probably think there is some kind of magic happening here ... they pull down a lever and out of the ground below their feet comes clear, cool freshwater. They (and maybe you) may not realize that there is an immense amount of water in aquifers below the earth's surface. In fact, there is a over a thousand times more water in the ground than is in all the world's rivers and lakes.
Learn About Groundwater
Groundwater Basics
- What is groundwater?
- Aquifers and groundwater
- Base flow and rivers
- Artesian water and artesian wells
- Drought and groundwater levels
- Groundwater flows underground
- Land subsidence
- Rivers contain groundwater
- Sinkholes
Humans and Groundwater
- Groundwater wells
- Groundwater decline and depletion
- Groundwater use in the United State
- How do hydrologists locate groundwater?
- Water dowsing
Groundwater Quality
- Groundwater quality
- Contamination of groundwater
- Contamination in U.S. private wells
- Pesticides in groundwater
Groundwater and the Water Cycle
- Groundwater flow and the water cycle
- Groundwater storage and the water cycle
- Infiltration and the water cycle
Activity Center and Resources
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Year Published: 1963A primer on ground water
Most of us don't have to look for water. We grew up either in big cities where there was a public water supply, or in small towns or on farms where the water came from wells. But there are some people to whom finding a new supply of water is vitally important.
Baldwin, Helene L.; McGuinness, C.L.Attribution: United States of AmericaView CitationA primer on ground water; 1963; USGS Unnumbered Series; Baldwin, Helene L.; McGuinness, C. L.
Ground water: the hidden resource
Ground water is water underground in saturated zones beneath the land surface. Contrary to popular belief, ground water does not form underground "rivers." It fills the pores and fractures in underground materials such as sand, gravel, and other rock. If ground water flows from rock materials or can be removed by pumping from the saturated rock...
Vandas, Stephen; Farrar, Frank Ground water and the rural homeowner
As the salesmen sang in the musical The Music Man, "You gotta know the territory." This saying is also true when planning to buy or build a house. Learn as much as possible about the land, the water supply, and the septic system of the house before buying or building. Do not just look at the construction aspects or the beauty of the home and...
Waller, Roger M.
Water resources professional's outreach notebook; ground water, grade level 6-8
Vandas, S.J.-
Date published: March 5, 2019USGS Groundwater Data for the Nation
Data from wells, springs, test holes, tunnels, drains, and excavations across the U.S.; well location data includes information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
Attribution: Water Resources, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
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Date published: March 4, 2020Groundwater Watch
Groundwater Watch displays maps, graphs, and tables describing real-time, recent, and historical groundwater data from wells and springs across the United States. Groundwater Watch groups related wells and data from active well networks and provides basic statistics about the water-level data collected by the USGS and from data supplied to us from partners through cooperative agreements.
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Date published: November 15, 2016National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN) Data Portal
The NGWMN Data Portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The Portal contains current and historical data including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction.