Educational Series 8. Using Ground-Water Data for Water Planning

Abstract

Thoughtful and broad-based planning is the foundation for wise use and management of Minnesota's ground-water resources. Effective water planning must match a variety of resource questions with appropriate types of data. The ability to understand ground water is limited because ground water is an "unseen" resource. We must rely on information from single points, such as individual monitoring wells, to piece together the resource picture. Hundreds of thousands of single point observations about Minnesota's ground water have been generated by government and the private sector. These data must be arranged and maintained in storage and retrieval libraries if they are to be used efficiently to answer ground-water questions. Data, however, are merely the tools for decision-making; this cannot be overemphasized. Data arrangement showing ground-water conditions will affect how a water management question is perceived, as well as how accurately or completely it can be answered. Appropriately designed data bases are the best means to ensure that all available ground-water information is used to portray conditions realistically. This booklet is an introduction to the use of existing data systems and the integration and development of data management systems into water planning.