Protection of State's Confined Drinking Water Aquifers

The groundwater contained in confined glacial aquifers provides clean drinking water to many Minnesota residents. An important factor affecting the long-term sustainability of these aquifers is how water infiltrates through clayey deposits of overlying glacial till, which act as barriers to contaminants but also limit water flow and aquifer recharge. Very little is actually known about the properties and infiltration of water through till, which hinders the ability to accurately define the sustainability of these aquifers. The United States Geological Survey is using this appropriation to test methods for assessing and defining the hydrologic properties of glacial till in order to understand the role it plays in the long-term sustainability of groundwater.