DWR_2882594

• Title: GROUND WATER LEVELS IN THE ALLUVIAL AND BEDROCK AQUIFERS OF WESTERN COLORADO
• Year: 2001
• Document Type - Publications and Reports: Ground Water Levels Report

WATER LEVELS IN SELECTED BEDR�CK AND ALLUVIAL
AQUIFERS
�F WESTERN C4L�RAD�
200�
This report presents water le�el data from 57 welis located in Archuleta, Delta, Garfield,
Jackson, La Plata, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, and Rio Bianco Counties. Most of the wells for
which data are reported were originally constructed in the 1970's by the United States
Geological Sur�ey as a part vf their statewide monitoring well network. The U.S.G.S.
routineiy measured wa#er levels in these wefls until 1982. That historicai data is incfuded in
this report, along with more recent data gathered by the C�Iorado Di�ision of Water
Resources.
The wells listed in this report are now part of a state-wide water le�el monitoring network
funded by Senate Bill 2D0 (1987 Legislative Session). That legislation directed that a
portion of #he fees collected for applications for water well permits be used for the
establishment of a program to monitor ground water le�els throughout the state.
In 199� , the Division of Water Resources initiated a program to monitor water levels in
about 5� of the wefls that had been a part of the U.S.G.S. monitoring system. A small
number of additional wells measured are used for irrigation, stock watering, or domestic
purposes. Several of the Rio Blanco County weils are also measured at feast quarterly in
connection with the ongoing monitoring in and around the C-b oi1 shale tract, and the
solution mining operation of North American Chemical Company's White Ri�er nahcolite
(sodium bicarbonate) plant. These data are also presented where avaifabfe. No wells were
measured by DWR in 1994.
In this report, the wells are grouped first by county in alphabetical order and then by
township, range, and section within each county. 4nly 1 wefl is measured in each of the
following counties; Archuleta, La Plata, Mesa, and Moffat. Rio Blanco County contains the
largest number of wells (34} being monitored. The well I.D,, shown on each tabuiar data
page, and along the left margin of each hydrograph describes the we11 location in the
standard well numbering system used by the Bureau of RecEamation and the United States
Geological Sur►rey. The aquifers monitored inciude the alluvium, the Fruitland, Mesa Verde,
Wasatch, North Park, San Jose, Dakota/Burro Canyon, Green Ri�er, Uinta and Parachute
Creek members or forma#ions. The specific aquifer being monitored in a well is shown on
the data sheet for that well.
In addition to the tabular data, the water le�el change for each well is presented on a
hydrograph. When interpreting the hydrographs, you should note carefully the month and
year of the measurement, as there is a 9 or 1 Q year data gap befinreen the historic U.S.G.S.
data and the DWR data. Generally, thEs gap occurs during the years between 1979 and
1991. The dashed se ment on each h dro ra h identifies the eriod durin which no data
were athered. In addition, some data points #hat were ob�iously incvrrect have been
deleied before preparation vf the hyd�ographs. The hydrograph for each well is presented
on the page opposite the tabufar data. Hydrographs were not created for wells with only 2
or 3 data points.