Groundwater Assessment in Washington State

Welcome to the groundwater assessment website! The Environmental Assessment Program maintains a staff of groundwater scientists who conduct technical studies across a broad spectrum of groundwater-related issues*. Current staff members on the groundwater team include:

Barb Carey, L.G., L.HG.; barb.carey@ecy.wa.gov; (360) 407-6769
Martha Maggi, L.G., L.HG.; martha.maggi@ecy.wa.gov; (360) 407-6453
Pam Marti, L.G., L.HG.; pam.marti@ecy.wa.gov; (360) 407-6768
Charles Pitz, L.G., L.HG.; charles.pitz@ecy.wa.gov; (360) 407-6775
Melanie Redding, L.G., L.HG.; melanie.redding@ecy.wa.gov; (360) 407-6524
Kirk Sinclair, L.G., L.HG.; kirk.sinclair@ecy.wa.gov; (360) 407-6557
Scott Tarbutton, scott.tarbutton@ecy.wa.gov, (509) 329-3453

*Within Ecology, most groundwater field assessment and research is conducted by the Environmental Assessment Program. For information on Ecology policies and regulations related to groundwater, see Water Quality Program’s Groundwater information page and Water Resources Program page. For additional information regarding cleanup and regulation of groundwater at specific facilities, see the web sites for the Toxics Cleanup Program, the Hazardous Waste Program, the Nuclear Waste Program Groundwater Page, and the Waste 2 Resources (Solid Waste) Program.

Contents of This Website

Ecology Groundwater Assessment Studies

Descriptions and contact information for groundwater studies currently underway in the Environmental Assessment Program, as well as a comprehensive map showing completed studies and links to available on-line reports.

Links to Information on Groundwater in Washington State

Stumped about where to find information about groundwater in your area? We’ve compiled sources of information that we often head to when conducting one of our studies.

Environmental Assessment Program Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Groundwater Monitoring

Documentation describing the standardized field methods we use during our groundwater studies

New Items of Note, Current Events & Announcements

NEW Ecology recently launched a new web-based portal focused on Groundwater. A nice directory to agency resources related to groundwater; make sure to check back in as we add new content.
NEW Ecology's Environmental Information Management (EIM) system has a new EIM Groundwater Data Center that allows users to search for groundwater information stored in the EIM system.
NEW The United Kingdom Groundwater Forum has produced a short video explaining the role of groundwater in supporting streamflow. Although the film is set in Britain, the processes described apply directly to Washington State rivers and streams. This video provides a straightforward explanation for those interested in learning more about the basics of groundwater/surface water interactions.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently completed sampling of over 300 wells in the Lower Yakima Valley. This water quality sampling effort was conducted to learn more about the status of elevated nitrate in the local groundwater system. Twenty one percent (21%) of the wells tested showed a nitrate concentration above the federal (and state) drinking water standard of 10 mg/L (parts per million). Read more about this effort in a recent Yakima Herald-Republic article: Nitrate exceeds standards in 1 of 5 Lower Valley wells.
The U.S. Geological Survey has recently released the findings of a study of long-term trends in groundwater levels across the Columbia Plateau. This study revealed that approximately 80 percent of the nearly 500 wells measured showed a decline in measured water level. To see a recent press release about the study, visit: USGS Press Release: 8 in 10 Wells in Columbia Plateau Decline.

For questions or comments on this web site, please contact Charles Pitz (charles.pitz@ecy.wa.gov).