Minnesota Groundwater Level Monitoring Network— Guidance Document for Network Development

Minnesota's environmental and economic future depends on a continued and available supply of groundwater that is managed sustainably. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is responsible for managing the quantity of groundwater use through appropriation permits and monitoring water levels. Groundwater quantity estimates for management purposes depend on a historical record of water level measurements. However, the state's current groundwater level monitoring network does not provide adequate statewide groundwater quantity information because many areas and groundwater resources are unmonitored. This Guidance Document outlines how Minnesota's current groundwater level monitoring network of approximately 750 wells should be expanded to approximately 7000 groundwater level monitoring wells to meet monitoring needs. This expansion is necessary because large areas in Minnesota are not adequately monitored. Many areas of Minnesota are underlain by multiple aquifers, all of which must be considered in developing the long-term network that will provide adequate resource data. A more complete and integrated network of groundwater level monitoring wells will provide stakeholders, local government offi cials, and groundwater resource managers with the information needed to: • Understand the status of groundwater quantity throughout the state • Formulate management responses to changing water levels • Plan for the future based on current scientifi c data. This document is intended to provide the DNR with a guide to build the backbone network that will support the state's current and future groundwater level monitoring information needs. Network wells will become long-term assets used to fully understand, manage, and assess Minnesota's groundwater resources. As described in this document, this is an unprecedented expansion project that will vastly improve the understanding of Minnesota's groundwater resources. The envisioned expansion is a very signifi cant undertaking, estimated to require 30 years to complete and cost $94.7 million. The continued operation and maintenance of the network assets as the network expands is also a signifi cant undertaking, requiring on-going support to acquire, analyze, and interpret groundwater level data and to make the data readily available to a wide variety of users. The Minnesota groundwater level network as it develops into the future is intended to meet information needs for sustainable management of water resources. The existing network, while limited, provides invaluable data for resource managers; the expanded network will provide greatly improved data resource to understand groundwater system response to change and provide the groundwater quantity data needed to make informed decisions to protect Minnesota's groundwater resource for the future.