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Data from Decadal Change in Groundwater Quality Web Site, 1988-2022

Metadata Updated: July 6, 2024

Evaluating Decadal Changes in Groundwater Quality: Groundwater-quality data were collected from 5,000 wells between 1988-2001 (first decadal sampling event) by the National Water-Quality Assessment Project. Samples are collected in groups of 20-30 wells with similar characteristics called networks. About 1,500 of these wells in 67 networks were sampled again approximately 10 years later between 2002-2012 (second sampling event) to evaluate decadal changes in groundwater quality. Between 2012 and 2022 (third sampling event), a subset of these networks were sampled again, allowing additional results to be displayed on the web page: Decadal changes in groundwater quality (https://nawqatrends.wim.usgs.gov/decadal/). This is the seventh iteration of data added to the website. With the additional data, it is possible to evaluate changes in water quality between the 2nd and 3rd sampling events for 76 networks, changes in water quality between the 1st and 3rd sampling events for 63 networks, and changes across all 3 sampling events for 60 networks. Samples were obtained from monitoring wells, domestic-supply wells, and some public-supply wells before any treatment on the system. Groundwater samples used to evaluate decadal change were collected from networks of wells with similar characteristics. Some networks, consisting of domestic or public-supply wells, were used to assess changes in the quality of groundwater used for drinking water supply. Other networks, consisting of monitoring wells, assessed changes in the quality of shallow groundwater underlying key land-use types such as agricultural or urban lands. Networks were chosen based on geographic distribution across the Nation and to represent the most important water-supply aquifers and specific land-use types. Decadal changes in concentrations of nutrients, metals, and pesticides and other organic contaminants in groundwater were evaluated in a total of 89 networks across the Nation by comparing changes between selected sampling events. Decadal changes in median concentrations for a network are classified as large, small, or no change in comparison to a benchmark concentration. For example, a large change in chloride concentrations indicates that the probability of the test is less than or equal to 0.10 and the median of all differences in concentrations in a network is greater than 5 percent of the chloride benchmark per decade. For chloride, which has a Secondary Maximum Contaminant level of 250 milligrams per liter, this would mean the change in concentration exceeded 12.5 milligrams per liter (mg/L), or 5 percent of the benchmark. 230 networks were sampled from 1988 to 2001 to assess the status of the Nation's groundwater quality. Each dot on the map on the "About-Learn more" tab of the Decadal mapper website, (https://nawqatrends.wim.usgs.gov/decadal/) represents the center point (centroid) of a network of about 20 to 30 wells. Networks sampled in the first sampling event only are shown in green. There were 67 networks resampled from 2002 to 2012 to assess decadal changes in groundwater quality. Networks sampled from 2012 to 2022 and at least one previous sampling event are shown in orange and trend networks that have not yet been resampled in the third decadal sampling event are shown in blue. Networks sampled in the first and second sampling events but are no longer being sampled are shown in gray.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Created Date September 19, 2023
Metadata Updated Date July 6, 2024

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI EDI

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date September 19, 2023
Metadata Updated Date July 6, 2024
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
@Id http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/26c9d1b23cb62752b54ddd78dfaa6e8d
Identifier USGS:6476425ed34e4e58932da21f
Data Last Modified 20230913
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://datainventory.doi.gov/data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id b1efcba7-d225-4b0d-844a-f0fd7759d516
Harvest Source Id 52bfcc16-6e15-478f-809a-b1bc76f1aeda
Harvest Source Title DOI EDI
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial -123.2435,26.0159,-69.1875,49.0235
Publisher Hierarchy White House > U.S. Department of the Interior > U.S. Geological Survey
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash f1561d5aedd6ff048fa00e8b9f854d4276705c9c9d5ea2f50cb7fc2a853382a7
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -123.2435, 26.0159, -123.2435, 49.0235, -69.1875, 49.0235, -69.1875, 26.0159, -123.2435, 26.0159}

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