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. One interesting new feature we've recently added to the portal is a regularly updated listing of news items that involve groundwater in Washington. A good way to stay up to date on the latest groundwater topics across the state.
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 Ecology's director Ted Sturdevant recently authorized the formation of a Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) for the Lower Yakima Valley to address ongoing issues with nitrate contamination in the local aquifer system. The state has committed approximately $300,000 in start-up funding for the GWMA; Yakima County will serve as the lead party for the organization, and advisory board members have recently been appointed. See Ecology's Lower Yakima Valley Groundwater Quality webpage for more information.
NEW Ecology recently released a report that summarizes thirty years of groundwater nitrate data that has been collected from the Sumas-Blaine aquifer in northeastern Washington (Whatcom County). The data indicate that approximately 30% of the 500+ wells that have been sampled during that time frame exceeded the 10 mg/L-nitrogen maximum contaminant level for nitrate. To read the full report, see: Sumas-Blaine Aquifer Nitrate Contamination Summary; to read a focus sheet summarizing the report findings, see: Focus on Groundwater Quality in Whatcom County
NEW The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently published a report outlining wide-area declines in groundwater levels that have occurred across the Columbia Plateau between 1968 and 2009. Geologic barriers, the intermixing of water between aquifers through wells, and groundwater pumping all contribute to the declines observed in wells across the region. To see the USGS press release for the report see: Geology+Wells+Pumping = Drops in Water Level in Columbia Plateau. To see a full version of the report, see: Groundwater Status and Trends for the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

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