We are all concerned about our private wells and the long-term sustainability of water for our homes. In an effort to monitor what is happening in the Dawson aquifer under the Black Forest, the Black Forest Water and Wells Committee has developed a program to monitor a number of wells over a span of many years.
The Committee went out to the Friends of Black Forest to ask for volunteers who would be willing to offer their well for periodic testing. Eighty-six people volunteered and out of that 48 wells were chosen to cover the area of Black Forest.
The Committee purchased a sophisticated sonic tester that uses sound waves to measure the static level (level of the water) in the well. Nothing is inserted into the well itself. After the well cap has been removed the tester is placed over the top and sound pulses are converted to feet. Each well has a master sheet where the static readings are recorded for comparison to previous readings. For each test, a worksheet is provided to the well owner to inform them of the static level in the test. The Committee wants to be very transparent and keep the well owners as informed as possible.
The program began in the spring of 2020 and as of November 2020, a second round of testing has been completed. Well permits for each well in the program give a picture of the static level, well depth and pump depth when the well was drilled. The plan is to conduct tests in the spring and fall of 2021 and then annually after that.
Meaningful data will take several years to collect as the Committee continues to test and monitor the static levels in these wells.
With increased development and commercial interests purchasing water rights in the Black Forest, it is imperative that our wells are monitored so that we will be able to alert our elected officials if we see patterns that are not good in the Dawson aquifer.