Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Link to: Florida Department of Environmental Protection
NGWMN Contact:
Jay Silvanima
(850) 245-8507
james.silvanima@dep.state.fl.us
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is a water-level and water-quality data provider to the National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN). FDEP supports the Integrated Water Resource Monitoring Network (IWRMN) which was founded to provide scientifically defensible information on important chemical, physical and pertinent biological characteristics from surface waters and major aquifer systems in Florida. FDEP maintains a network of at least 291 groundwater monitoring sites and currently provides data from 49 wells to the NGWMN Portal. FDEP has been a part of the Network since 2018.
FDEP provides water-level and water-quality data from the Coastal plains aquifer system, Surficial aquifer system, Biscayne aquifer and Floridan aquifer system.
NGWMN Projects:
Initial project to become a NGWMN data provider.
NGWMN Presentations
None
Site Selection and Classification
Site Selection
The GWT is comprised of 23 confined wells, 26 unconfined wells and 2 springs (Fig. 1, Table 1). The well and spring locations were selected to represent confined and unconfined aquifer conditions in each of Florida's USGS 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code areas. A description of the FDEP Trend Monitoring Network including additional links to field measurement SOPs, and data management procedures is found here: https://floridadep.gov/dear/watershed-monitoring-section/content/trend-network. More information on the Groundwater Trend Monitoring network is available in the design document for the status and trend monitoring networks found here: http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/dear/DEARweb/WMS/Reports_Docs_SOPs/Design_Docs/WMS-MonitoringDesignDocument.pdf. The confined wells are sampled quarterly for field and analytical measurements, and the unconfined wells and springs are sampled monthly for field measurements and quarterly for analytical measurements. The standard set of field measurements include; depth to water from measuring point, total depth, temperature, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. Quarterly water quality samples are collected for total and fecal coliforms, nutrients, major ions, color, hardness, and total dissolved solids. Annually in October, all wells are sampled for trace metals. A complete list of the measurements collected at these stations is provided in Table 2.
All FLDEP Trend sites were selected for the NGWMN.
Site Classification
All sites are classified as NGWMN 'Trend' sites.
All sites are classified as 'Suspected Changes' sites
Data Collection Techniques
Water quality data for assessment of region-wide groundwater resources are being collected from the GWT monitoring network's 2 springs and 49 wells. Quarterly water quality data is collected at all GWT sites. Water-level data is typically collected monthly at the 26 unconfined aquifer wells and collected quarterly at the 23 confined aquifer wells. Lithology for the GWT well stations was determined by the Florida Geological Survey during 2020 and 2021 and has been loaded into GEODES.
FDEP's GWT network data are stored natively in an enterprise relational database management system, Generalized Water Information System (GWIS). The GWIS data elements conform to the Environmental Data Standards Council's (EDSCs) and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards. A data dictionary of all GWIS elements is maintained and allowed data element mapping to those elements necessary for the well registry. Data are reviewed and approved according to FDEP standard operating procedures and program quality assurance guidance. Water-level data are collected manually using either an electronic measuring device or wheeled tape measure. The data collection procedure requires that two water-level measurements are made that are within 0.01 feet. As the native data are collected from the well measuring point, it was necessary to write a procedure that uses this depth and each station's measuring point elevation and land surface elevation to calculate depth to water from land surface elevation for transfer to the NGWMN.
All analytical analyses are performed by the FDEP laboratory located at the Bob Martinez Center, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399. The lab is certified by the Florida Department of Health Environmental Lab Certification Program per National Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) standards (lab certification ID # E31780).
Data Management
Water-level data are entered into an electronic form using the ArcGIS online Survey123 platform while staff are on site or when staff return to the office if issues occur with the electronic forms. They are then exported from Survey123 with the remainder of the field generated data and saved as a .csv file. Once saved the data are transferred to the GWIS database. Water quality samples are collected then shipped to the FDEP laboratory for analyses. Once the analyses are completed and authorized by FDEP lab staff they are transferred directly to the GWIS database via a chronological job. The field forms and sample custody sheets are stored electronically. These electronic field sheets and the GWIS database itself are backed up as part of FDEP's routine system maintenance.