Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> unconsolidated rocky material which lies above bedrock, are designed to monitor <br /> natural stresses on the quantity of groundwater available in storage that are caused by <br /> variations in climatic conditions. Bedrock wells are utilized to monitor changes in <br /> groundwater levels in the bedrock across the County. Taken together, OWN is <br /> designed to collect information concerning the amount of groundwater available locally <br /> in Orange County. The network concept is a long-term project designed to collect and <br /> analyze data over periods of time to examine trends and conditions. <br /> Current Status <br /> Currently, groundwater level data collection is underway at a total of 13 wells - six <br /> bedrock wells and seven regolith wells. Attachment A is a map showing the locations of <br /> the wells that are currently in use along with the underlying geology. Groundwater level <br /> data collected from the OWN wells is automatically uploaded to the North Carolina <br /> Division of Water Resources (DWR) website to add to the statewide well database: <br /> https://www.ncwater.org/?page=537&tl=1&net=orange&inactive <br /> The DWR website includes maps of well locations, geologic information, and statistical <br /> curves that provide monthly minimum, mean, and maximum groundwater level <br /> information for each well in OWN. This information can be used to compare recent <br /> groundwater levels with historical values. Attachment B (Blackwood Farm Bedrock) and <br /> Attachment C (Blackwood Farm Regolith) represent sample data available to the public <br /> from two of the wells in the network. <br /> What Does the Data Tell Us? <br /> To date, the OWN data has confirmed many of the long-known factors about <br /> groundwater in Piedmont North Carolina. The lack of extended droughts during the <br /> period since the OWN began has not shown the fluctuations that would be expected (on <br /> a delayed basis) that might result from drought. <br /> Groundwater levels typically fall during the months of the growing season, due to a <br /> reduction in groundwater recharge. Groundwater recharge, the replenishment of <br /> supplies of groundwater through precipitation and other sources, including surface <br /> water systems, is reduced in part during this time of year due to increased evaporation <br /> as a result of higher ambient temperatures and through the increased use of water by <br /> plants during the growing season (transpiration). These factors normally result in <br /> significantly lower groundwater levels during the summer months in North Carolina. The <br /> Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation <br /> PO Box 8181 <br /> Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Phone: (919) 245-2510 <br /> Fax: (919) 644-3351 <br />