DWR_3222260

• Title: WATER LEVELS IN WESTERN COLORADO ALLUVIAL AND BEDROCK AQUIFERS
• Year: 1995
• Document Type - Publications and Reports: Ground Water Levels Report

WATER LEVELS IN BEDROCK AND ALLUVIAL AQUIFERS
OF WESTERN COLORADO
1995
This report presents water level data from 55 wells located in Archuleta, Delta, Garfield, Jackson,
La Plata, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, and Rio Blanco Counties. Most of the wells for which data are
reported were originally constructed in the 1970's by the United States Geological Survey as a part
of their state-wide monitoring well network. The geological survey routinely measured water levels
in their wells until 1982. That historical data is included in this report, along with more recent data
gathered by the Colorado Division of Water Resources.
Beginning in 1991, the Division of Water Resources initiated a program to monitor water levels in
about 60 of the wells that were a part of the U.S.G.S. monitoring system. A small number of the
wells measured are used for either irrigation, stock watering, or domestic purposes. Several of the
Rio Blanco County wells are also measured at least quarterly in connection with ongoing
monitoring in and around the C -b oil shale tract, and the solution mining operation of North
American Chemical Company's White River nahcolite (sodium bicarbonate) plant. This data is
also presented where available. No wells were measured by DWR in 1994.
In this report, the wells are first grouped alphabetically by county, and then by section, township
and range within each county. Only 1 well is measured in each of the following counties;
Archuleta, La Plata, Mesa, and Moffat. Rio Blanco County contains the largest number of wells
being monitored. The well I.D., shown at the top of each data sheet describes the well location in
the standard well numbering system used by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological
Survey. The aquifers monitored include the alluvium, the Fruitland, the Mesa Verde, the Wasatch,
the North Park, the San Jose, the Dakota/Burro Canyon, the Green River, the Uinta, and the
Parachute Creek. 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 level change in each well is represented on a hydrograph.
When interpreting the hydrograph, you should note carefully the month and year of the
measurement, as there is a 9 or 10 year data gap between the historic U. S . G. S . data and the DWR
data. Generally, this gap occurs during the years between 1979 and 1991. The dashed segment on
each hydrograph identifies the period during which no data was gathered. In addition, some data
points that were obviously incorrect have been deleted before preparation of the hydrographs.
In most cases, the well hydrograph is presented on the same page as the tabular data. Some wells,
however, had sufficient historical data that it was necessary to place the hydrograph on a separate
page.
Water level data prior to 1983 were gathered by personnel of the United States Geological Survey.
Data since 1990 has been gathered by Division of Water Resource personnel, Steve Joliat and
Glenn Graham. Some of the data for well Nos. SCO0109814ADCI and SC00109814ADC2
located in Rio Blanco County were gathered by North American Chemical Company personnel.
The data contained in this report were compiled and prepared for publication by Glenn Graham.