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WATER LEVELS IN THE LOWER SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN <br />ALLUVIAL AQUIFER - 2015 <br />This report contains basic data concerning the depth to and elevation of groundwater in the <br />alluvial aquifer of the Lower South Platte River Basin and select tributaries collected during <br />the spring and fall of 2015. Water -level measurements in this year's report were obtained by <br />Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) personnel, USGS personnel and Deputy District <br />Water Commissioner Steve Peterson. Measurements are usually taken twice a year, typically <br />in the spring before irrigation pumping commences and again in the fall after irrigation <br />pumping has ceased. A map showing the location of each monitoring well in this report is <br />included (Figure 1). <br />This report contains 135 semi-annual measurements from 2015. The current 140 -well network <br />consists of 83 privately owned wells, 36 monitoring wells installed by the South Platte Decision <br />Support System (SPDSS) and 21 wells associated with the USGS National Water -Quality Program <br />(NAWQA). Under the direction of House Bill 15-1166, 25 wells have been added to the <br />monitoring network. These wells were chosen because they were measured in the past and <br />have a historical period of record or because they are located in a geographic data gap from <br />the previous network. <br />The 36 SPDSS, 21 NAWQA and one private well are outfitted with automated water -levet data - <br />collection devices (data loggers). The data loggers collect daily water -level data which are <br />uploaded into HydroBase, DWR's free online water database. Only the semi-annual manual <br />measurements are listed in this report. <br />As in previous reports, the accompanying data table only lists data from the last 10 years, <br />though the hydrographs display the full period of record. The report also contains data from <br />wells that are normally a part of this monitoring effort, but for which measurements were not <br />available in 2014. Wells lacking measurements for the past 10 years have been removed from <br />the monitoring program and are no longer included in this publication. <br />On average, groundwater levels have risen about one-half foot across the basin since 2014. <br />They have generally risen just under one foot compared to 2010 (5 -year comparison) and just <br />over three feet compared to 2005 (10 -year comparison) measurements. Figure 2 is a map <br />showing depth to water below ground surface measured during the fall of 2015. <br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) provided funding to replace failed data <br />loggers and associated equipment and Division staff installed replacements as needed during <br />the spring and fall water level monitoring events. The CWCB also funded a project to survey <br />the measuring point elevations with high -precision GPS. The survey report can be downloaded <br />by following this link: <br />http: //dwrweblink.state.co.us/dwrweblink/0/doc/2859436/Pagel .aspx?searchid=ec9ca3dd- <br />f15a-40b5-9c52-0270b960feee <br />In addition r the alluvial groundwaterpresented pDivision staff are <br />actively involved in two special project • Groundwater <br />levels in these areas are being monitored as separateprograms. rconducting <br />multi-year studies, with funding provided by the CWCB, to gather the relevant data needed to <br />in these areas. Water level data specific to these project areas can be accessed through the <br />Division 1 website <br />