Growth Impact on Water Table is Subject of Study: Salida Mountain Mail

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o\- rl,7 Q)\ Growth 'M act on, w is a c sub -t. of, 1 by Brlah 6y1dr we have the results from this Mail Staff Writer (new) study, we can compare ahem and see what kind of The impact of growth on the changes have occurred." area water table i.s the subject USGS Pueblo Subdistrict of a 1$215,070 cooperative Chief Keith Lucey said water study by the Upper Arkansas levels are:collected from a Water, Conservancy District network of more than 100 and the U.S. Geological Sur- wells to investigate directions vey. of groundwater flows and sea- The agencies are collecting sonal changes in water' levels. data for a water study in the ' "Water samples from about Upper Arkansas River Basin 40 wells will - provide informa- between Salida and Buena tion about quality of ground Vista, and west to the water and could provide infor- Maysville area. mation about flow between The study is funded by a shallow and deep ground $150,460 contribution from water," Lucey said. the , UAWCD and $64,610 "The data identifying :from, the USGS. ,ground water conditions for This is an investment in 2000 to 2002 can be compared the future," said UAWCD to data from previous studies Manager Terry Scanga. - and the data will be stored in "This is putting together a the USGS National Water database that can be used to Information System for future show changes in the water reference." table, so we can plan appro-- The last general water priately. study of the Arkansas River "The areas that are experi Basin was conducted in the encing the largest growth are early 1970s. Ground water along the South Fork of the levels have been measured Arkansas River,. from from a smaller sample of Maysville to Salida, and along wells by USGS researchers the Cottonwood drainage. for the last 20 years. 'There is an earlier general' The new resea±ch is expect- study of the whole area. When ed to be completed in 2003.