National Ground Water Monitoring Network

National Ground Water Monitoring Network
Name	National Ground Water Monitoring Network
Formation	2009
Type	interagency network
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States

National Ground Water Monitoring Network is an interagency initiative that aggregates groundwater data from multiple federal and state programs to support water-resource science, policy, and management. The Network synthesizes monitoring from agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, and state surveys to provide standardized groundwater-level and water-quality information. It serves researchers, regulators, utilities, industry, and advocacy organizations by linking disparate monitoring efforts across aquifers, basins, and regional programs.

Overview

The Network integrates observations from the United States Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, and United States Department of Agriculture with state entities such as the California Department of Water Resources, Texas Water Development Board, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It unites legacy programs including the National Water Information System, the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program, and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council to provide consistent metadata and quality-assured records. The project supports stakeholders including the United States Congress, National Science Foundation, American Water Works Association, and regional bodies like the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum.

History and Development

The Network was initiated following recommendations from panels convened by the National Research Council and policy directives from the Office of Management and Budget and the Council on Environmental Quality. Early planning involved collaboration among the United States Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and academic centers such as United States Geological Survey Water Resources Division laboratories and university programs at University of Arizona, University of California, Berkeley, Colorado State University, Michigan State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Pilot efforts drew on datasets from the USGS National Water Information System, the EPA STORET archive, and state well networks maintained by agencies like the Kentucky Geological Survey and the North Carolina Geological Survey. Interagency memoranda of understanding linked the Network to initiatives by the Department of the Interior and the Office of the President's water policy priorities.

Network Design and Methodology

Design principles follow standards promulgated by the United States Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency, using common ontologies influenced by the Federal Geographic Data Committee and the Open Geospatial Consortium. Monitoring methods encompass manual water-level measurements, automated pressure transducers, and synoptic sampling modeled after protocols from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program and the Hydrologic Benchmark Network. Data quality assurance references guidance from the International Organization for Standardization, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the American Public Health Association. Site selection criteria rely on hydrogeologic mapping from the United States Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database, aquifer classification from the USGS Groundwater Atlas of the United States, and groundwater modeling approaches used by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and academic groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Data Management and Accessibility

The Network leverages data frameworks such as the National Water Information System, the Water Quality Portal, and geospatial services compatible with the Geospatial Data Gateway. Metadata standards align with the Dublin Core and the Federal Geographic Data Committee's Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, while web services support interoperability with tools from the United States Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the United States Geological Survey ScienceBase. Data discoverability benefits stakeholders including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and conservation groups like the Nature Conservancy and American Rivers. Accessibility provisions consider mandates from the Paperwork Reduction Act and open-data policies championed by the Office of Management and Budget.

Applications and Uses

Users apply Network data in hydrologic modeling for agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Federal Emergency Management Agency; in regulatory compliance by the Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental agencies; in resource planning by municipal utilities including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection; and in research supported by the National Science Foundation and academic institutions like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Texas A&M University. Applications include groundwater-surface water interaction studies by the United States Geological Survey, contaminant fate investigations linked to programs managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and climate change impact assessments coordinated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Third National Climate Assessment contributors.

Governance and Funding

Governance builds on interagency agreements among the United States Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Department of Agriculture, and state agencies such as the Oregon Water Resources Department and Nevada Division of Water Resources. Advisory input derives from bodies including the National Research Council, the Water Quality Coordinating Council, and stakeholder groups like the American Water Works Association and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. Funding streams combine appropriations from the United States Congress, grants from the National Science Foundation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and cost-sharing with state programs and regional authorities like the Delaware River Basin Commission.

Challenges and Future Directions

Challenges include harmonizing heterogeneous datasets across programs such as the USGS National Water Information System, EPA STORET, and state well inventories; sustaining long-term funding amid budget processes overseen by the Office of Management and Budget and subject to Congressional appropriations; and integrating emerging sensor networks developed by research centers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Georgia Institute of Technology. Future directions emphasize improving interoperability with standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium, enhancing real-time capabilities used by the National Weather Service, expanding partnerships with academic consortia including the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc., and addressing water-security concerns flagged by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Category:Hydrology Category:United States Geological Survey Category:Water monitoring