Publication Summary

This is a draft report by a technical advisory committee convened by the Department of Ecology and deals with hydraulic continuity (the connection between surface and ground water). The report contains recommended technical methods for evaluating the effects of ground water withdrawals on surface water quantity.

This is a draft report by a technical advisory committee convened by the Department of Ecology and deals with hydraulic continuity (the connection between surface and ground water). The report contains recommended technical methods for evaluating the effects of ground water withdrawals on surface water quantity.

Agreement on technical methods for evaluating ground water/surface water interaction is important to ensure a sound scientific basis and regulatory consistency in the management of Washington's increasingly sought-after water resources.

The Technical Advisory Committee was charged only with examining the quantitative effects of capture, and did not address the technical evaluation of related water issues, such as surface water hydrology, minimum instream flows, water quality, and habitat. The Committee did consider what types of technical questions arise under the present regulatory framework so as to ensure that its technical recommendations would be useful and grounded in reality.

In this report, the Committee has attempted to communicate its key scientific and technical conclusions in a way that is clear to the non-technical audience, as well as to hydrogeologists and technical experts in government and the private sector.