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Z.nforma+ion =+2m <br />County of Orange <br />Department of Environment, Agriculture, <br />Parks and Recreation <br />Memorandum <br />To: Board of County Commissioners <br />Frank W. Clifton, Jr., County Manager <br />From: David Stancil, DEAPR Director <br />Tom Davis, Water Resources Coordinator <br />Date: May 18, 2010 <br />Subject: Orange Well Net Project <br />As presented at the Board's January 27, 2009 meeting, a groundwater observation <br />well network (known as Orange Well Net) comprised of nine bedrock wells and nine <br />regolith (shallow unconsolidated material) wells is proposed for completion in <br />Orange County, consistent with the goals of the Water Resources Initiative adopted <br />by the BOCC in May 2005. At the January 27th meeting, staff was instructed to <br />search for existing out of use water supply wells to incorporate into the network. As <br />a reminder, the primary goal of the observation well network is to monitor the natural <br />stresses on the quantity of groundwater available in storage caused by variations in <br />climatic conditions. This would be accomplished through the use of regolith <br />observation wells. The secondary goal of the network is to monitor variations in <br />groundwater levels in the nine main bedrock lithologies across the county, which <br />would be accomplished through the use of bedrock observation wells. <br />Six existing bedrock wells have been identified, evaluated and secured and are now <br />being utilized in Orange Well Net, as shown on the attached list of wells. Wells <br />owned by Orange County that have been incorporated include the Rocky Ridge well, <br />the bedrock well at the Blackwood Farm, and an abandoned well at the Millhouse <br />Road property. In addition, wells owned by outside organizations were also identified <br />and evaluated. As a result of this process, Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with <br />Duke University, the Eno River Association, and the University of North Carolina at <br />Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) were completed to permit the county to utilize additional out of <br />use water supply wells owned by these entities. These MOAs govern the use of a <br />well in the Blackwood Division of Duke Forest near Eubanks Road, a well on a <br />parcel of land known as the Eno Confluence Property which is owned by the Eno <br />River Association, and a well at the former MacCauley Geophysical Laboratory <br />Environment, Agricutfure, Parks and Recreation <br />PO Box 8981 / 306-A Revere Road <br />Hiitsborough, NC 27278 <br />(919) 245-2510 <br />