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GroundwaterThe Unseen Part of the Water Cycle
Salt Groundwater
Ground WaterReservoir
Who Uses Groundwater?In Northwest Ohio
Ohio Groundwater Law
1843: Acton v. Blundell “English Rule”
The landowner can pump groundwater at any rate even if an adjoining property owner were harmed.
1843: Acton v. Blundell “English Rule”
The landowner can pump groundwater at any rate even if an adjoining property owner were harmed.
1861: Frazier v. Brown English Rule in Ohio
Groundwater is
“…occult and concealed…”
and legislation of its use is
“…practically impossible.”
1861: Frazier v. Brown English Rule in Ohio
Groundwater is
“…occult and concealed…”
and legislation of its use is
“…practically impossible.”
Wisconsin Groundwater Law
1903: Huber v. Merkel
English Rule in Wisconsin
A property owner can pump unlimited amounts of groundwater,
even with malicious harm to a neighbor.
1903: Huber v. Merkel
English Rule in Wisconsin
A property owner can pump unlimited amounts of groundwater,
even with malicious harm to a neighbor.
1974: Wisconsin v. Michels Pipeline Constructors Inc.
English Rule Overturned
Landowners no longer have
“an absolute right to use with impunity all water that can be pumped from the subsoil underneath.”
1974: Wisconsin v. Michels Pipeline Constructors Inc.
English Rule Overturned
Landowners no longer have
“an absolute right to use with impunity all water that can be pumped from the subsoil underneath.”
English Rule Overturned in Ohio
1984: Cline v. American Aggregates English Rule overturned in Ohio
Justice Holmes: “Scientific
knowledge in the field of hydrology has advanced in the past decade…” so it
“…can establish the cause and
effect relationship of the tapping of underground water to the existing water level.”
1984: Cline v. American Aggregates English Rule overturned in Ohio
Justice Holmes: “Scientific
knowledge in the field of hydrology has advanced in the past decade…” so it
“…can establish the cause and
effect relationship of the tapping of underground water to the existing water level.”
Today: Lingering effects of English Rule
It is very difficult to prove cause and effect to be defensible in court.
Today: Lingering effects of English Rule
It is very difficult to prove cause and effect to be defensible in court.
Most available freshwater is ground water
Oceans97.2%
Atmosphere0.0001%
0.61%(97%)
Streams and Lakes
0.01%(3%)
Porosity and Permeability
Porosity: Percent of volume that is void space.
Sediment: Determined by how tightly packed and how clean (silt and clay), (usually between 20 and 40%)
Rock: Determined by size and number of fractures (most often very low, <5%) 1%
5%
30%
Zone of Aeration
Water Table
Saturated Zone
Porosity and Permeability
Permeability: Ease with which water will flow through a porous material Sediment: Proportional to
sediment size GravelExcellent SandGood SiltModerate ClayPoor
Rock: Proportional to fracture size and number. Can be good to excellent (even with low porosity)
Excellent
Poor
Zone of Aeration
Water Table
Saturated Zone
Porosity and Permeability Permeability is not
proportional to porosity.
Table 13.1
1%
5%30%
Water table: the surface separating the vadose zone from the saturated zone.
Measured using water level in well
The Water Table
Fig. 13.3
Aquifer: Saturated sediment or porous rock that is sufficiently permeable to supply useable amounts of water
The Water Table
Fig. 13.3
Groundwater discharge: Groundwater
leaving the subsurface at
Natural locations including streams springs and wetlands
Artificial means like pumped wells and drains
Groundwater Systems
Infiltration: Precipitation soaking into the soil and moving into the subsurface
Groundwater Systems
Groundwater recharge: Infiltration percolating to the water table
Groundwater Systems
Groundwater Flow: groundwater
moves through the small pore spaces
from areas with a high water table
to areas with a low water table
Groundwater Systems
Velocity is proportional to Permeability Slope of the water
table Inversely
Proportional to porosity
Groundwater Systems
Fast (e.g., cm per day)
Slow (e.g., mm per day)
Infiltration Recharges ground
water Raises water table Provides water to
springs, streams and wells
Reduction of infiltration causes water table to drop
Natural Water Table Fluctuations
Reduction of infiltration causes water table to drop Wells go dry Springs go dry Discharge of rivers
drops Artificial causes
Pavement Drainage
Natural Water Table Fluctuations
Pumping wells Accelerates flow
near well May reverse
ground-water flow Causes water table
drawdown Forms a cone of
depression
Effects of Pumping Wells
Pumping wells Accelerate flow Reverse flow Cause water
table drawdown Form cones of
depression Low river
GainingStream
GainingStream
Pumping well
Low well
Low well
Cone of Depression
Water TableDrawdown
Dry Spring
Effects of Pumping Wells
Dry river
Dry well
Effects of Pumping Wells
Dry well
Dry well
LosingStream
Continued water-table drawdown May dry up
springs and wells May reverse flow
of rivers (and may contaminate aquifer)
May dry up rivers and wetlands