Water Quantity Issues in Illinois: Sustainability of Groundwater Resources

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Water Quantity Issues in Illinois
Sustainability ofGroundwater Resources
David R. Larson, Head (acting) Hydrogeology
Section Illinois State Geological Survey Email
dlarson_at_isgs.uiuc.edu
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Groundwater Sustainability

• The development and use of groundwater to meet
  both current and future beneficial purposes
  without causing unacceptable consequences.
• Quantifying groundwater sustainability must be
  based on scientific information and principles
  and must incorporate social, environmental,
  legal, and economic concerns.

Source modified from National Ground Water
Association http//www.ngwa.org/pdf/sustainwhitepa
per.pdf
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Groundwater Sustainability Involves

• Management of groundwater as an integrated part
  of the hydrologic cycle
• Wise, beneficial, and efficient use of
  groundwater
• Fair allocation, equitable access, and monitoring
  of water for human, environmental, and ecological
  needs

Source modified from National Ground Water
Association http//www.ngwa.org/pdf/sustainwhitepa
per.pdf
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Groundwater and the Hydrologic Cycle
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Groundwater Flow Paths
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Aquifer a saturated geologic unit that can
transmit significant quantities of water, for
example to wells or springs. Typical aquifer
materials in Illinois sand and/or gravel,
sandstone, and limestone or dolomite with
fractures, joints or solution channels. Hydrauli
c conductivity is a measure of the capacity of
aquifer materials to transmit groundwater.
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Two Types of Aquifers
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Effects on groundwater flow in an unconfined
aquifer caused by a well being pumped
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Effects on groundwater flow in a confined
aquifer caused by wells being pumped
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Cones of depressions Cambro-Ordovician aquifer
in northeast Illinois and southeast
Wisconsin 1864-1980
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Groundwater Availability Major Sand and Gravel
Aquifers in Illinois
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Quaternary Deposits of Illinois Major sand
gravel aquifers deposited by glacial meltwater
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Major Bedrock Aquifers within 300 of Land Surface
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Major Bedrock Aquifers within 500 of Land
Surface
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Major Bedrock Aquifers gt500 below Land Surface
lt2,500 mg/L TDS
2,500-10,000 mg/L TDS
gt10,000 mg/L TDS
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Groundwater/ Surface-Water Interaction Direct
hydraulic connection Gaining stream
(groundwater provides baseflow of stream)
groundwater discharge to lakes and wetlands
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Groundwater/ Surface-Water Interaction Direct
hydraulic connection Losing stream
groundwater recharge from lakes and wetlands
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Groundwater/Surface-Water Interaction no direct
hydraulic connection
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Groundwater/Surface-Water Interaction bank
storage
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Does Sustainability Mean Protectionism?
Water Authorities have the power to permit,
register, inspect, and plug water wells
reasonably regulate water use during periods of
actual or threatened shortages and establish
limits and priorities of water use. Groundwater
used for agriculture or domestic supply is not
under water authority jurisdiction. Resource
Protection Zones by ordinance municipalities can
extend their jurisdiction 10 to 20 miles beyond
the corporate limits to prevent or punish
pollution and/or injury to the source of supply
(groundwater or surface water). A resource
development that adversely affects the water
supply could be construed as injury. 15
communities, all using groundwater, have
established resource protection zones.
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Does Sustainability MeanSharing the Groundwater
Resource?

• Mahomet Aquifer Consortium
• organized November 1998 to . further study
  the Mahomet aquifer on a regional basis and to
  develop a plan for the management of this
  valuable resource.
• goal is to make informed decisions about
  meeting future water demands
• membership includes the general public,
  government agencies, water authorities, water
  companies, and professional organizations

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The Mahomet Aquifer - East-Central Illinois
Source Mahomet Aquifer Consortium website
http//www.mahometaquiferconsortium.org/
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Promoting Groundwater Sustainability

• Evaluate sources of water other than local
  groundwater
• Alter the rates or spatial patterns of
  groundwater pumpage
• Increase groundwater recharge
• Use aquifers as reservoirs
• The geology and hydraulics of the groundwater
  resource need to be understood.

Source modified from National Ground Water
Association http//www.ngwa.org/pdf/sustainwhitepa
per.pdf
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Central Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition

• provide 3D geologic maps that provide information
  about the characteristics, distribution, and
  thickness of geologic materials from land surface
  to bedrock
• detailed mapping at the 7.5 quad scale
  (124,000) of bedrock topography, drift
  thickness, surficial geology, 3D
  lithostratigraphy, and 3D hydrogeology
• required for making informed decisions regarding
  many issues the availability and sustainability
  of groundwater and surface-water resources
• management and mitigation of land and water
  contamination
• habitat alteration and biodiversity
• sources of aggregate for construction
• siting and construction industrial, commercial,
  residential, and infrastructure
• Maps and more information are available at the
  ISGS website

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Other Publications of Interest

• Illinois State Water Survey (www.isws.uiuc.edu)
• An Analysis of Groundwater Use to Aquifer
  Potential Yield in Illinois
• U.S. Geological Survey Office of Groundwater
• (water.usgs.gov/ogw/index.html)
• Circular 1190 Sustainable Growth in Americas
  Heartland 3-D Geologic Maps as the Foundation
• Circular 1186 Sustainability of Ground-Water
  Resources
• Circular 1139 Ground Water and Surface Water A
  Single Resource

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