Links to Additional Information About Groundwater in Washington State

Washington Department of Ecology Groundwater Information

Groundwater-related Information From Other Washington State Agencies

Groundwater-related Information from Federal Agencies

Locally-based Groundwater Information

Washington Department of Ecology Groundwater Information

Washington State Water Supply Bulletins
Many of the reports in the Washington State Water Supply Bulletin series are devoted to describing the geology and groundwater resources of the state. Scanned PDF versions of bulletins devoted specifically to groundwater topics are found on the Geology and Groundwater Resources page of this site.

Online Abstracts from the Biennial Symposium on the Hydrogeology of Washington State - 1995-2007.
Abstracts from posters and talks are currently available online as PDF files for Symposia 1 through 6.

Well Log Search
Ecology's Water Resources Program supports a web-based search tool for well logs on file with the state. If you're interested in access to a Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial dataset of the wells in the database, see: Ecology GIS Data Website

Washington Department of Ecology Water Quality Program Groundwater Information
Access to policies and regulations related to groundwater and water quality.

Washington Department of Ecology Water Resources Program
Access to policies and regulations related to groundwater and water quantity.

Washington Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste Program Groundwater Information page
Access to information about groundwater remediation efforts at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford site in eastern Washington.

Washington Department of Ecology Environmental Information Management (EIM) system
Access to groundwater data that has been entered into the Department of Ecology’s EIM system database.

Report on the Occurrence of Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) in Groundwater at Leaking Underground Storage Tank Sites in Washington
This report describes the results of a Department of Ecology study conducted in 2000 where groundwater samples were collected from 70 LUST sites across western Washington and analyzed for MTBE.

August 1998 Draft Report of the Technical Advisory Committee: Recommended Technical Methods for Evaluating the Effects of Ground-Water Withdrawals on Surface Water Quantity.
This report describes the findings of a committee of groundwater experts evaluating appropriate approaches to resolving surface water capture by groundwater pumping.

Status of Active Groundwater Monitoring Programs in Washington State – 2002
In 2002, Ecology's Environmental Assessment Program completed a statewide survey of active groundwater monitoring programs operating across Washington at the local level. For detailed descriptions of the individual groundwater monitoring programs identified during our survey, also see Groundwater Monitoring Program Descriptions.

Strategic Planning for Washington State Groundwater Assessment
Read more about the Environmental Assessment Program’s ongoing strategic review for state groundwater assessment efforts.

Groundwater-related Information From Other Washington State Agencies

Chapter 173-200 WAC: Water quality standards for groundwater in the State of Washington
This website presents the state regulations for groundwater quality. Specific water quality criteria for groundwater are presented in State of Washington Groundwater Quality Criteria.

Washington State Department of Health Drinking Water Program
Many of the public water supply systems in the state derive their water from groundwater wells. Visit this page to learn more about the state’s programs that oversee water quality from these systems. Don’t forget to also visit the Drinking Water Program Data page for access to source information about these wells.

Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources (WDGER) Publications
Access to information about the Washington Department of Natural Resources geology-related publications, including an up-to-date listing of geologic reports and maps. Many of these publications are available on-line.

WDGER Digital Bibliography
A searchable bibliography of geologic reports published about Washington State.

WDGER Geologic Map Index
A complete, geo-referenced index of geologic and geophysical mapping of Washington.

WDGER Washington State Geologic Information Portal
The Washington State Geological Information Portal provides geological maps, data, and related information through the internet using interactive geographic information system technology

State of Washington Water Research Center (SWWRC) Groundwater Report List
Based in Pullman, WA, the SWWRC assembles research on a wide variety of water resource topics, including groundwater issues. Search the Center's online publication list for groundwater or hydrogeochemistry reports in PDF format. The SWWRC has also held several conferences focused on water resources in the Northwest - see conference proceedings for Groundwater Under the Pacific Northwest - Integrating Research, Policy, and Education, Stevenson, WA, Nov. 2-3, 2005, and Water in the Pacific Northwest - Moving Science into Policy and Action, Stevenson, WA, November 7-8, 2007.

Department of Licensing Geologist/Hydrogeologist Licensing Program
Since 2001, professionals conducting groundwater work in Washington State must hold a valid license as a geologist, with a specialty license in hydrogeology (or work for someone who does).

Groundwater-related Information from Federal Agencies

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - Water Resources of Washington State
The USGS is involved in a wide variety of groundwater investigations across Washington. To search the USGS on-line report bibliography for Washington, go to USGS on-line Bibliography search. Alternatively, you can search by project topic, or project location, by visiting the USGS Water Science Center Projects and Studies page.

USGS NWISWeb Data for Washington
High quality historic data for groundwater in Washington is the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (NWIS) web site.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 10 Ground Water Protection Unit
Access to information regarding the USEPA’s regional groundwater protection activities.

Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Study
The USGS is leading a study of one of Washington’s major aquifer systems, in cooperation with the Washington Department of Ecology (Contact: Guy Gregory, ggre461@ecy.wa.gov; 509-329-3509), the Idaho Department of Water Resources, the City of Spokane, and others. Visit this home page for more information about this important study.

Locally-based Groundwater Information

Watershed planning groups often evaluate groundwater as part of locally-based water resource management efforts. To see if there's a planning group in your area, go to: Watershed Planning in Washington

Wellowner.org has a lot of helpful information related to groundwater and private water well systems, including tips on maintaining and testing your domestic well.

County agencies or partnerships can also be a good source of information about local groundwater conditions. Local health departments can provide helpful guidance on siting and maintaining water supply wells, and often provide a water-testing service if you're concerned about the quality of the water in your domestic well (usually focused on nitrates, bacteria, and in some counties, arsenic). Here's a list of web links for many of these local programs: