Examination of Ground-Water Level Declines in Monroe County, Michigan

During the past decade, ground-water levels have declined in bedrock aquifers throughout most of Monroe County, Michigan. The Michigan District USGS is working in cooperation with the Drinking Water and Radiological Protection Division of the State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to study the causes of these declines. Current work includes ground-water monitoring in thirty-three observation wells and surface-water monitoring at the River Raisin near Monroe, Otter Creek at LaSalle, and the Amos Palmer Drain in London Township. Aquifer tests are scheduled to determine the hydrogeologic properties of the bedrock aquifer and, by comparison to tests performed on these wells in 1991, to assess the change in behavior of the system due to the observed water level changes. A numerical model of the aquifer system for Monroe and portions of surrounding counties is being developed to help quantify the water budget for the area, to determine the relative impact of various ground-water withdrawals on the system, to guide future data collection, and to test different management schemes designed to address these ground-water declines.