The Missouri Geological Survey, a division of the Department of Natural Resources, recently made it easy to locate groundwater observation wells in Missouri using an online GIS application.
“This new online tool aids business, industry, agriculture and citizens in locating groundwater observation wells and data, precipitation, along with soil moisture data in a few key locations,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Groundwater is a main source of drinking water for many Missourians. More than 80% of Missouri’s public water supplies use groundwater. Groundwater supplies nearly all of our state’s rural residents who use individual private water wells. Groundwater also provides much of the water used to irrigate crops.”
The department has been monitoring groundwater levels throughout Missouri since the mid-1950s. Operated by the Water Resources Center in Rolla, the network consists of more than 150 wells that vary from less than 30 feet deep to more than 1,800 feet deep. The network helps serve as a planning tool to improve understanding of groundwater use for a specific aquifer.
“In 2020, the department began installing probes at some key groundwater observation stations to measure soil moisture; some also measure soil temperature,” said Jerry Prewett, assistant state geologist and deputy director of the Missouri Geological Survey, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “In addition to information about groundwater levels, data collected using the soil moisture probes is extremely useful. Soil moisture plays a crucial role in flood and drought forecasting, agricultural needs, and other natural resource activities.”
Creating the Soil Moisture Network is one of many meaningful steps the department has taken in enacting flood resiliency priorities to benefit Missouri and its citizens. The network is a result of conversations among Governor Parson’s Flood Recovery Advisory Working Group members.
Soil moisture data is collected every 30 minutes and is transmitted along with groundwater and precipitation information every hour. Results are available online in the new application.
