Investigating Groundwater Systems on Regional and National Scales (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclusions and Recommendations
Pages 108-115
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From page 108... ...
The purpose of the regional- and national-scale groundwater investigations envisioned in this report is to provide a framework for decisionmakers and a starting point for future site-specific studies by analyzing hydrogeologic processes and conditions relevant to wide areas of the United States. A general characteristic of regional investigations is that they cover hundreds to thousands of square miles and usually extend across state boundaries.
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From page 109... ...
SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT OF CRITICAL GROUNDWATER ISSUES Conclusion: Policy-relevant regional and national assessments of the sustainability of groundwater supplies under current and projected patterns of groundwater use are essential for Tong-term resourcemanagement decisions. Assessments of sustainability represent the synthesis of resource inventory and characterization, process studies, problem identification, and decision support.
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From page 110... ...
· Aquifer management: optimizing groundwater extraction while limiting undesirable effects such as salt-water intrusion, land subsidence, and harm to ecosystems, Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) projects: use of aquifers for repeated storage and recovery of water of varying quality, Groundwater recharge: quantifying rates, spatial locations, and mechanisms of recharge from local to regional scales, · Surficial aquifers: evaluating hydrogeology, water-level changes, and water quality changes, Interaction of groundlwater with surface water: researching processes and mechanisms in wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas, o Flow and transport in karst and fractured aquifers: understanding pathways, identifying recharge areas, and characterizing properties at different scales, and Characterization of heterogeneous aquifers at large and small scales: understanding links between geology and hydrogeology, and developing new characterization methodologies.
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From page 111... ...
The current decision process is not clear to the committee, and it may not be understood by many USGS district staff. Many issues and regions of the United States are appropriate for study, but in an era of limited resources, the USGS needs to make difficult choices in allocating resources to some issues and regions over others.
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From page 112... ...
However, this database alone will not fill the need for synthesis of the scientific findings; instead, it will provide support and documentation for those findings. The synthe
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From page 113... ...
With the existing USGS Internet sites and such electronic platforms as the National Atias of the United States, the main elements for a web-based data and metadata delivery system are already in place.
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From page 114... ...
These interpretations are often best provided by individual scientists familiar with the local issues and with local hydrogeology. METHODS DEVELOPMENT Conclusion: Physically based process models are essential for regionalization of groundwater information.
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From page 115... ...
Conclusions and Recommendations ~5 Conclusion: One of the most fruitful methods of regionalization and synthesis may be increased emphasis on the links between geology and hydrogeology (e.g., Leahy and Lyttle, 1998~. Geology exerts a fundamental control on hydrogeologic processes, and regional variations in geologic setting offer an obvious starting point for regional groundwater studies.
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