Report details Barrington-area water levels

The Barrington Area Council of Governments has released its Groundwater Monitoring Program's baseline report, intended as a reference point for tracking groundwater level conditions in the Barrington area.

Shallow aquifer groundwater is the primary source for the Barrington area's water supply, supporting both municipal and private wells. Regular monitoring of groundwater levels will provide local governments with trend data, allowing them to plan and act before the water supply losses endanger resident lifestyles and habitat quality.

BACOG's monitoring system is comprehensive, and includes the baseline report of groundwater conditions and regular update reports of trends in water level conditions. Data is compiled from sources including: three new electronic continuously monitoring well units, purchased with a grant from the U.S. Geological Survey; 15 manually measured monitoring wells; area stream gages with electronic recorders; electronically monitored wells in McHenry County and other nearby areas; Municipal pumping wells within and adjacent to BACOG.

A survey of the levels of 15 lakes in BACOG communities also was completed to better understand their relationships to the shallow aquifer system.

The baseline report is available at bacog.org/images/GWL_Monitoring_Report.pdf.