USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

450814094315003 LFO1-D Litchfield Far Nest 0000773059

Till Deposits

LOCATION - Lat 45°08'14", long 94°31'50" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in sec.11, T.119 N., R.31 W., Meeker County, MN, Hydrologic Unit 07010204, The piezometer is located approximately 0.26 miles SE of the City of Litchfield's Water Treatment Plant. The piezometer is located in an open mowed-grass area on the north side of a city park. The piezometer is located approximately 0.23 miles SW of the intersection of MN HWY 12 and 270th street.

GROUNDWATER RECORDS

WELL CHARACTERISTICS - Depth 75.27 ft. Upper casing diameter 1.2 in; top of first opening 72.4 ft, bottom of last opening 75.06 ft. The hole for piezometer LFO1-D was drilled with an 8.25-inch-diameter, hollow stem auger drill rig to a depth of 75.5 feet. The piezometer is constructed of a 2.66-feet-long, 1.25-inch-diameter, schedule-80 PVC, 0.010-inch slotted Environmental Manufacturing Inc. well screen, attached with glued PVC couplings with length/s of 10.00 feet of 1.25-inch-diameter, schedule-80 PVC well casing. The piezometer casing measuring point (stickup) was 2.44 feet (1117.78 ft. NAVD88, +/- 0.1 ft.) above land surface when measured on 11 June 2015. The open interval of the piezometer is between 72.40 and 75.06 feet below land surface and the total well depth is 75.27 feet below land surface.

This piezometer is screened in a glacial till layer, which is the confining unit above where nearby city wells pump from a confined aquifer.

DATUM - Land-surface datum is 1,115.34 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Measuring point: White mark on top of grey 1.25-inch PVC well casing, not top of steel protection post, 2.44 ft above land-surface datum, Jun. 11, 2015 to present. The measuring point is a yellow mark on the top of the grey PVC 1.25-inch well casing, which was 2.44 feet above land surface on 11 June 2015. Elevation of the measuring point is 1117.78 plus-or-minus 0.1 feet above sea level, North American Vertical Datum of 1988, based on differential GPS and optical survey on 28 September 2015.

PERIOD OF RECORD - Water levels were recorded periodically from 04 August 2015 to 24 April 2017. Water levels were recorded hourly from 09 December 2015 at 12:00 CST to 24 April 2017 at 17:00 CDT, except during the following periods:

09 Dec. 2015 - 10 Dec. 2015 at 04:00 CST: deleted WL recovery after transducer deployment
26 Apr. 2016 at 10:00 - 27 Apr. 2016 at 09:00 CDT: due to transducer removal during well purge
09 May 2016 at 18:00 CDT - 10 May 2016 at 14:00 CDT: transducer removal during QW sampling

When possible, missing daily-average water levels (above) were accurately estimated based on the trend of the hydrograph during these periods.

GAGE - Continuous water level, water temperature, and battery voltage are measured with an OTT Orpheus Mini 0-10m pressure transducer. These data are recorded hourly by the same OTT Orpheus Mini pressure transducer, which has a data logger built into it. The data logger is housed inside of the 1.25-inch PVC well casing, which has an aluminum locking well cap on top the 6-inch black steel protection post. The gage is powered by 3 AA lithium batteries that are inside of the data logger communications rod. Data is downloaded manually and no telemetry or phone line is wired into the gage.

The pressure transducer and data logger were removed from the well on 24 April 2017 at 17:50 CDT. Data collection for the Confining Beds "phase 1" study have concluded and all data logging equipment have been removed from the sites.

COOPERATION - This site was operated (2015-2017) by the U.S. Geological Survey as a monitoring well for the Glacial Confining Beds Study. The well began to be used as part of the Glacial Confining Beds Study immediately after installation on 11 June 2015. The Confining Beds Study is a collaborative effort between the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Iowa State University, Minnesota Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

WATER-QUALITY RECORDS

WELL CHARACTERISTICS - Depth 75.27 ft. Upper casing diameter 1.2 in; top of first opening 72.4 ft, bottom of last opening 75.06 ft. The hole for piezometer LFO1-D was drilled with an 8.25-inch-diameter, hollow stem auger drill rig to a depth of 75.5 feet. The piezometer is constructed of a 2.66-feet-long, 1.25-inch-diameter, schedule-80 PVC, 0.010-inch slotted Environmental Manufacturing Inc. well screen, attached with glued PVC couplings with length/s of 10.00 feet of 1.25-inch-diameter, schedule-80 PVC well casing. The piezometer casing measuring point (stickup) was 2.44 feet (1117.78 ft. NAVD88, +/- 0.1 ft.) above land surface when measured on 11 June 2015. The open interval of the piezometer is between 72.40 and 75.06 feet below land surface and the total well depth is 75.27 feet below land surface.

This piezometer is screened in a glacial till layer, which is the confining unit above where nearby city wells pump from a confined aquifer.

DATUM - Land-surface datum is 1,115.34 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Measuring point: White mark on top of grey 1.25-inch PVC well casing, not top of steel protection post, 2.44 ft above land-surface datum, Jun. 11, 2015 to present. The measuring point is a yellow mark on the top of the grey PVC 1.25-inch well casing, which was 2.44 feet above land surface on 11 June 2015. Elevation of the measuring point is 1117.78 plus-or-minus 0.1 feet above sea level, North American Vertical Datum of 1988, based on differential GPS and optical survey on 28 September 2015.

PERIOD OF RECORD - Water temperatures were recorded hourly from 09 December 2015 at 12:00 CST to 24 April 2017 at 17:00 CDT, except during the following periods:

09 Dec. 2015 at 12:00 & 13:00 CST: due to equilibration spike after transducer deployment
26 Apr. 2016 at 10:00 - 12:00 CDT: due to transducer removal during well purge
09 May 2016 at 19:00 & 20:00 CDT : due to transducer removal during water sampling

The missing daily-average water temperatures (above) were accurately estimated based on the trend of the thermograph during these periods.

COOPERATION - This site was operated (2015-2017) by the U.S. Geological Survey as a monitoring well for the Glacial Confining Beds Study. The well began to be used as part of the Glacial Confining Beds Study immediately after installation on 11 June 2015. The Confining Beds Study is a collaborative effort between the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Iowa State University, Minnesota Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

INSTRUMENTATION - Water temperature are measured with an OTT Orpheus Mini submersible pressure transducer accurate to +/- 0.1°C. Temperature differences are accurate to 0.1°C.