NGWA
SM
The Groundwater
Association
NGWA SUPPORTS
FUNDING FOR THE
NATIONAL GROUNDWATER MONITORING
NETWORK
The 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
FY2015 and $3.6 million
was provided in FY2016.
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.
2016 Groundwater Fly-In
National Ground-Water
Monitoring Network
Issue: The National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (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% 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.
Image credit: USGS cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn
NGWA position: NGWA recommends funding the NGWMN at a level of
$5 million in the FY2017 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill.
For more information visit:
NGWA.ORG
CONTACT: LAUREN SCHAPKER
NGWA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR
202 888.9151 OR LSCHAPKER@NGWA.ORG