NGWA supports funding for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network
The National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) was authorized in the 2009 SECURE Water Act.
Following the success of pilot projects completed by several states — Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, and Texas — $2.6 million in funding was provided in FY 2015 and $3.6 million was provided in FY 2016.
Funding is used to create cooperative agreements between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and state and local agencies, which will help to begin implementation of the national network.
Data contributed by states to the NGWMN is accessible on a public portal administered by USGS. State and local agencies retain ownership of data.
The NGWMN represents a first-of-its-kind network for sharing measurements of groundwater levels and quality, creating partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies, and allowing public access to data via an online portal.
- Nationwide implementation of the NGWMN will enable important interstate data-sharing and can help to inform local and regional groundwater management decisions.
- Groundwater resources are a critical source of drinking water for more than 40 percent of the country. It is a primary source of irrigation water for high-quality agricultural products and an important driver for the U.S. economy.
- The NGWMN is envisioned as a voluntary, cooperative, integrated system of data collection, management, and reporting providing valuable information.
- Funding is used for states to establish, grow, or maintain groundwater monitoring networks as well as to maintain a publicly accessible online portal for the public to access collected data.