DATA COLLECTION
Using the Beeper
The beeper is a water level meter that emits a loud noise when the probe at the end of the measuring tape hits water. We use this instrument to measure the distance to the top of the water in the wells and the ditch.
To turn the meter on, turn the sensitivity knob. Push the test button to ensure that the alarm is working. On the back of the spool, below the handle, is a knob that loosens the spool. Unscrew the knob, and slowly lower the probe into the well. The measuring tape is color-coded—black for centimeters, red for meters. Unspool the tape slowly and keep track of each meter that passes—the centimeter count restarts at each meter! When the meter beeps, reel in the tape until the alarm stops. Continue to lower and raise the probe slowly to determine the exact point at which it begins beeping—this is the surface of the water. When you have determined the level of the surface of the water, read the tape vertically (don't fold it over the edge of the well) from the appropriate location: black notch at the top of the groundwater well white or black arrow on the downstream side of the bridge or culvert over the ditch. This mark is generally at the bottom part of the bridge (by your feet), not on the railing.
Using fingers to keep the tape from dragging across the well's edge, raise and guide the tape back onto the spool while keeping the tape flat. Place the metal probe into the holster next to the handle. It is very important to keep the tape flat, to avoid bending the tape too far, and avoid dropping the probe on to the ground.
Turn off the beeper and use the knob to lock the spool back in place.
Well monitoring directions
Gently remove the well cap and note what well you are at by looking on the inside of the cap or on the well.
Beep the well, reading to the nearest half-centimeter. If the beeper stops going down into the well easily, try to figure out if it can pass by the obstruction or not. If it feels like you can pass by the obstruction (often roots), note this on your data sheet. If the beeper does not beep at all but will not go further down, take a reading there and note it on your data sheet (the number and whether or not you got a beep). See if there is mud or dirt on the bottom of your sensor and note that on the data sheet, too.
Place the cap back on the well gently so that it can be easily removed the next time the well is used. If you have a locking cap, generally, three turns of the cap will sufficiently lock it in place. If it keeps on spinning and not locking, hold the base in place and continue turning the lock. Ensure that the cap is on tightly (but not too tight!) so that pressure transducers will not be stolen.
DATA QA/QC
Monthly Groundwater Procedure ]
Ensure all sites are present. If a site is missing, add a line of periods for missing data.
Check the comments to ensure that any dry or flooded and unread wells were flagged correctly (orange for dry, blue for flooded), and noted in the QA/QCNotes column
If the person checking the data has not already done so, update the individual site graph tabs with the most recent month of data and remove the oldest month of data.
For each site, go to the tab for that site and in the graph right click. Select Select Data. If needed, under Series, click on the month and year from a year ago and select the Remove button.
Select the Add button. To create the label for the data you just entered, in the Name box, write the month and year for the data you are going to graph. For instance, if it's for January 2016, write =Jan-16 and then click back on the box to the far right of that.
To add your data, click on the far right of Y values. Click on the data tab in the file and go to the well data for the month and year you want to enter. Select that data. Hit OK.
When a well data point is missing, you will have to delete the . in the cell; otherwise, Excel will graph the point as ‘0'.
**If for some reason these graphs are missing or will not display, create new graphs based on the following guidelines: graph the most recent 12 months of data using the casing-height corrected depth, but proof the original non-corrected entry. This is to ensure that you are assessing the relationships between wells without the bias of the differing casing heights (ie, starting at ground level for all wells). However, the pre-casing height (original) entry should be edited as this is the number that would be subjected to error at the reading or entry stage.
Compare the new month of data to the past data. Questions to ask:
Does the trend for this month follow the same general trend as in the same month the year before? If not, is there a good reason why not? (eg, unusually high rainfall or river flow, out of the ordinary diversions from a nearby dam, etc)
Are the depths for all five wells tending to increase and decrease together? If not, is there an outstanding reason? (eg, a well that is more strongly influenced by a nearby ditch than other wells, which are more influenced by river flow)
Do the relationships between wells remain consistent over time? (for example, perhaps at a given site, N and S track each other closely, with N generally a bit shallower than S)
If a point is suspicious, assess for the following common errors:
The point was written down off by one meter.
The hash mark on the measuring tape was read as a ‘1' (common for the first 9 digits after a meter mark, eg 119 recorded instead of 109)
Two wells were switched. The most common mistake is W and E, followed by N and S. Also keep an eye out for any two wells whose rows are next to each other on the datasheet (N and E, E and C, C and S, S and W)
Numbers were transposed within a reading (eg, 149 was recorded when the correct reading was 194) 9's were read upside down as 6's, and vice versa- this is most common for 99/66. After a meter mark, the first 9 cm were given a tens value rather than a ones value (eg, 190 was recorded when the correct reading was 109)
If any of the above scenarios resolve a suspicious point, make the appropriate change and note it in the QA/QC column. Be sure to include the original entry, the suspected error, the new value, and your initials.
If none of the above scenarios resolves a suspicious point:
If the point follows the same trend as the other wells but is exaggerated compared to the rest (eg, 30-40cm deeper than other wells), flag the point in red text but leave it in place. In the QA/QC column, note the reason for the flag and your initials.
If the point does not follow the same trend as the other wells (eg, a well that is declining while the other four wells are increasing), and is greater than 20cm off track from the other wells' trend, remove the point. In the QA/QC column, note the original entry and your initials.
