“Assessing Aquifers” by Sandie Will @RockHeadScience for @GeoDrilling International

Earlier this year, I was approached by GeoDrilling International to write an article for their magazine. Since their September issue focused primarily on coring, I prepared an article related to the work we do in water resources.  I have a staff of 15 who collect, test, analyze, and report on lithostratigraphic and hydrostratigraphic characteristics of several aquifers in Florida including the surficial, Hawthorn aquifer system, Upper Floridan and Lower Floridan.  Water supply is primarily drawn from the Upper Floridan aquifer in the southwest region of Florida and new studies are currently underway of the Lower Floridan aquifer. Staff include drillers, geologists and technicians who spend years at a site to collected the needed data.  This includes three phases of field work:  1) coring and testing; 2) well construction; and 3) aquifer performance testing.  The article, “Assessing Aquifers,” was published in the September 2014 issue of GeoDrilling International and describes how we collect the cores and various hydrogeologic data.  If you’re interested in what it’s like to work in the hydrogeology industry, this article will give you great insight into this specialty.

Here’s the link:  GDI1409Core Assessing Aquifers by Sandie Will

I would like to thank GeoDrilling International, for the opportunity to provide an article for their magazine and highlight the talents of my staff and drilling program.

Here’s the feature on my employer’s website (the link in the article no longer works – see the link above):

Magazine Article Highlights District Core Drilling Program

The District’s core drilling program was recently highlighted inGeoDrilling International Magazine. Sandie Will, manager of the Geohydrologic Data Section, was invited to write the article which stresses the important work of the program.

The article states how scientists use the data collected from wells to study how much water can be withdrawn from the aquifer without depleting it or causing impacts to the quality of these groundwater resources. A comprehensive understanding of the aquifer systems is a must, and core drilling and testing prior to the design and installation of these wells are essential.

In 1974, the District created the Regional Observation Monitor-well Program (ROMP) to explore the hydrogeology below the surface and install wells within the aquifers for long-term monitoring of groundwater levels and quality. More than 200 ROMP sites and 250 project-support sites have been constructed throughout the District.

The Geohydrologic Data section at the District oversees this program and characterizes the hydrogeology of a site in three phases:
• Exploratory Coring/Testing
• Well Construction
• Aquifer Performance Test

Will said the article emphasizes this important work.

“Data collected from programs such as ROMP are the foundation of groundwater assessments and will be essential for future analyses and planning as population and subsequent demands for groundwater increase,” Will said. “Continued collection of accurate and defensible data is needed in the future, and core drilling and testing is the essential first step in meeting this need.”

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