Groundwater sampling underway in Chisago County

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News Releases
Groundwater sampling underway in Chisago County
(Released September 9, 2010)


Hydrogeologists from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be collecting about 90 water samples from wells in Chisago County over the next two months.

 
The samples will be analyzed for general and trace chemistry. They will also be tested to learn how long the water has been underground.

The data are being collected for the Chisago County Geologic Atlas, a cooperative effort involving staff from the Minnesota Geological Survey, DNR Ecological and Water Resources Division, and Chisago County.

DNR staff will be contacting Chisago County residents to request permission for well sampling, which involves collecting a water sample and measuring the depth to water in each well. The selection of wells for sampling will be based on geology, location, well depth, and well construction. Water sampled will come from wells drawing water from aquifers at varying depths. Owners of wells that are sampled will receive a report of the laboratory results for their well.

Preserving the long-term quality of the region’s surface and groundwater resources requires that policy makers have access to accurate information based on sound scientific principles. A county geologic atlas is a valuable tool used by county planners, resource managers, and other local government staff when making general planning, land use management, and water resource protection decisions.

The Minnesota Geological Survey has already published Part A of the atlas, which illustrates details of the county’s geology. In 2012, DNR will publish the groundwater portion of the atlas (Part B). The current plan for the Part B report will include four plates that include maps and descriptions of the hydrogeology, cross sections illustrating groundwater conditions, and the pollution sensitivity of groundwater in the county.

The DNR county geologic atlas program is funded in part by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

For information, contact Greg Small, DNR project hydrogeologist, at 651-259-5660 or Jan Falteisek, DNR county geologic atlas program supervisor, at 651-259-5665.