Where to get groundwater records on internet
These are websites that I use at work to get information related to groundwater in California. It’s pretty impressive in terms of the amount and types of data available online.
A. Water-level data
- DWR: Groundwater Level Data Reports. User can review and download water-level hydrographs for California. I prefer the “Data by Township” option for long-term data. If you want to create a groundwater contour map for specific time, the Contour Data – xyz data for wells in a basin for discrete time periods option is better. On Fall 2009, they changed the graph into a flash picture, which make it difficult to copy to any word’s program (or to print them) but looks better and clear than the previous version.
- DWR: Water Data Library. Web-based map where you can locate an area and see available well stations in California. The symbol that shows cluster well is not particularly useful.
- DWR: Contour maps of groundwater basin in the San Joaquin District and the Northern District (Sacramento Valley).
B. Water Quality
- DWR: Water Data Library. User is able to search for water quality data by “Station and County” or by “Project name” and obtains reports.
- DWR: DWR Publications. It has all DWR bulletins, fact sheet, newsletter, etc. User can browse by: topic, type, and titles categories.
- United States Geological Survey (USGS): GAMA: Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment. Publications of statewide a comprehensive ground-water-quality monitoring and assessment program for California.
- USGS: National Water Information System (NWIS) is an application that supports the acquisition, processing, and long-term storage of water data. Click on the “Field/lab samples” for historical water-quality data. The database is not that great, but it could be helpful.
- USGS: Publications Warehouse.
C. Stream Flow
- USGS: Surface-Water Data for the Nation. It provides historical monthly and annual stream discharge statistics nationwide. Annual statistic can be based on Water year or Calendar year.
D. Climate Data
- DWR: California Data Exchange Center. Database covers precipitation, snow water content, reservoir operations, and reservoir summary reports in California. Time duration includes real-time and historical data.
- NCDC: Web Climate Services. Paid nationwide climate database system. The cost to purchase climate data of one station is between $40 and $75.
- DWR: California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS). The site to get daily and monthly evapotranspiration data. It is free of charge but user needs to register.
- Western Regional Climate Center. The incomplete data is free. User need to pay for more complete data. I prefer the NCDC website as it is more legit.
E. Geologic Maps and Reports
- USGS: National Geologic Map Database. It contains maps of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, hazards, mineral, etc. from scale of 1:500,000 to 1:24,000 for the selected area. It also has GIS data. The “Name Search” option is the best one to use.
- The California Geological Survey (CGS) Database of Publications contains publications by CGS, available for purchase. Publications include geologic maps, geologic reports, seismic data and more.
- USGS: Publications Warehouse. Retrieve USGS publications by author, title, year, or product type query.
F. Soil data
- USDA: Web Soil Survey. The website includes web-based soil map. User can select an area, and have the information as a report. Click here to know how to use the web interface.
- NRCS: Soil Data Mart and Geospatial Data Gateway. Here, user can download or purchase soil map on a DLG shapefile format for GIS.
If you know more useful link, please let us know on comment.
Oh, graptolites –
Your stipes, your stipes are calling
From every shale in every ancient land;
Oh, graptolites –
Through dream’s dark oceans falling,
Your rhabdosomes with grace in every strand.
Oh, take me back to Cambro-Ordovician days,
With all your youth and glory in full blaze –
You lived to see a mighty ocean wax and wane,
But modern oceans spread for you in vain.
Dendroidea –
Your autothecae smiling,
Through Tremodocian trials they would last –
Dendroidea –
Your bithecae are crying,
For when you fade, alas, they too must pass.
Why did you leave the ocean bottom safe and wide
To drift with plankton on the roving tide?
Oh, Dictyonema, from thy thecal loins emerged
Proud Graptoloids, that from their past diverged.
PS. Found this little ditty but, I did the author was not noted…