Environmental surveys play a crucial role in safeguarding our natural resources, particularly when it comes to monitoring groundwater quality and flow. Groundwater sampling and well surveying are integral components of these surveys, serving distinct yet complementary purposes in environmental assessment and management.
The primary objective of groundwater sampling is to gather current data on the quality of groundwater within a specific site. This process involves collecting water samples from monitoring wells, piezometers, and other relevant locations. The collected data provides insights into the presence of contaminants and helps in evaluating the overall health of the groundwater system.
On the other hand, well surveying focuses on obtaining updated data on the direction and gradient of groundwater flow. Professional Land Surveyors, licensed in the respective state, are tasked with surveying each groundwater monitoring well, piezometer, and soil boring location within the project site. This meticulous approach ensures accurate measurements and reliable data collection.
One of the key platforms used for managing and disseminating environmental data in California is GeoTracker, the California Water Board’s GIS data system. GeoTracker serves as a comprehensive repository for records related to sites with potential impacts on water quality, with a particular emphasis on groundwater. It contains data for a wide range of projects, including cleanup sites such as Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Sites and Department of Defense Sites, as well as permitted facilities like Irrigated Lands and Oil and Gas production sites.
Data collected from groundwater sampling and well surveying activities are uploaded to GeoTracker in accordance with the State Water Quality Control Board’s guidelines. This typically includes x, y, and z values in GeoTracker-approved data set files. Vertical elevations are surveyed at multiple points, including the top of monitoring well vaults and the ground surface, with precision up to the nearest hundredth of a foot referenced to NAVD 88 datum. Horizontal locations are surveyed to the nearest tenth of a foot referenced to NAD 83 datum.
In addition to collecting the raw data, our team of professionals compile comprehensive site plans are generated as part of the final report, depicting key features such as monitoring wells and soil borings. These plans provide valuable visual representations of the surveyed area and aid in the interpretation of collected data.
Goundwater sampling and well surveying are essential components of environmental surveys, providing critical insights into groundwater quality and flow dynamics. By adhering to rigorous surveying standards and leveraging advanced data management systems like GeoTracker, our team does its part to understand, monitor and manage water resources for future generations.
To learn more, please contact us at (800) CALVADA or visit www.calvada.com.
Calvada proudly serves Corona and all surrounding areas.