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<br /> <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Because 2! Its Importance qround .ater ~ treated ~ ~ <br />sectIons: quantity, quality, and Its relationships to <br />construction. <br /> <br />"hi Ie _ater occurs In varying o!Imounts In all earth m<lted.,]s. <br />ground .ater Is the subsurface .ater that saturates certain <br />underground formations. It occurs In defin.,ble formations <br />called aquifers. Some aquifers (unconfIned), are closely <br />associated ..Ith the surface of the 1round through <br />InfiltratIon or at streams, sprIngs. or ponds .hlle other <br />aquifers (confined). are vIrtually Isolated from the surfac"l <br /> <br /> <br />f;r...~~~s -=~ <br />_ r_#-;-_._. _"~"'__~"'" <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />Tha path"ays of ground.ater 'lloyamant through tracturGS In <br />crystal line rocks In Clear Creek County are vlv]dly sho.n by <br />the formation of Ice from seeping ground ..."ter at joints In <br />the rock. <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br />Ground VVater <br /> <br /> <br />by overlying Impermeable bedrock. A single aquifer may <br />under I Ie many square miles of I"nd and ...hen tapped by ...el Is <br />csn be a principal source of _ater for domestic. Industrial <br />or agricultural use. <br /> <br />Some ground ...ater supplies are rene_ed rapidly by natural <br />processes. These unconf I ned aqu I fers are "recharged" ...1 th <br />_ater seeping Into them from precipitatIon, streams, lakes, <br />dralnage...ays, s...amps and other sources on the surface of the <br />ground. ConfIned deep aquifers generally have no rlay to <br />quiCkly replace ...ater pumped from the'll. In most cases, <br />ground rlater f lo...s through the rocks and soIl s of aqul fers at <br />rates ranging fro"ll a fe... Inches to hundredS of feet per year. <br />The under~round ria tel'" can move slo...ly through the aquifers <br />for many miles. Some aqul fers are mapped In detail and their <br />characteristics have been determined as the result of <br />extensive use and testing. In general. ho...ever, many <br />aquifers are poorly understood. makIng management .!lnd <br />conservation of this ...aluable resource difficult. <br /> <br />The ground _ater aqul fers closest to the surface are of <br />primary concern to I!lnd development and construction projects <br />because they most frequently affect the "vallablllty of <br />supply, ...ater quality and effect other geologic phenomena <br />such as landslides. subsIdence end collepslng soilS. They <br />also are most vulnerable to mo!ln-caused pollution. <br />Indirectly, ground rlater affects the value of property and <br />the Improvements on It. <br /> <br />Quantity <br /> <br />Characteristics <br /> <br />Different kinds of rocks and sol Is store and yield ...ater In <br />varying amounts. Shales and other rock formations composed <br />of fine partiCles yield very little ...afer because rlater <br />cannot move easily through them. Sand and gravel formatIons. <br />