Water samples from wells in Anoka County will be collected and analyzed for water chemistry over the next two months by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  The samples will be tested to learn the time it takes rain to percolate into the various aquifer layers and how water moves through the geologic formations below.

DNR hydro-geologists will collect and analyze water samples that will be used in the groundwater section of the Anoka County Geologic Atlas that is currently being developed. The atlas is a cooperative effort involving staff from the Minnesota Geological Survey, DNR Ecological and Water Resources Division, Anoka County and the Anoka County Soil and Water Conservation District.

DNR staff will be contacting county residents for permission to draw a sample from their well, which involves collecting a water sample and measuring the depth to water in each well. The selection of wells for sampling will be based on geology, location, well depth, and well construction. Water samples will come from wells drawing water from aquifers at varying depths. Owners of wells that are sampled will receive a report of the laboratory results for their well.

Preserving the long-term quality of the region’s surface and groundwater resources requires accurate information based on sound scientific principles. A county geologic atlas will aid residents, landowners and communities in their plans for development, land use management, and water resource protection.

The Minnesota Geological Survey has already published Part A of the atlas, which illustrates details of each county’s geology. In 2015, the DNR will publish the groundwater portion of the atlas (Part B). The current plan for the Part B reports will include maps and descriptions of the hydrogeology, cross sections illustrating groundwater conditions and the pollution sensitivity of groundwater in the county.