Do It Yourself (DIY) Groundwater Level Monitoring
Special tools are now available for Napa County residents to borrow and measure the depth to groundwater in their own well. You can get trained on how to use the tool to better understand how water level in your well changes throughout the year. Find out more information about the DIY Groundwater Level Monitoring Program below.
To know how water depth changes over the year, and to better understand how the groundwater reservoir beneath their land responds to winter recharge and use over the dry months. Measurements are best taken in the spring and fall over multiple years to see trends in recharge.
The Well Sounder 2010 Pro (EnoScientific.com) is a hand-held sonic measuring device that determines the depth from its location to the water level in the well. Once the user calibrates the tool with the right site-specific data, accurate depth measurements can be made within minutes.
- Contact County staff to indicate your interest (see below)
- Napa County Resource Conservation District staff will demonstrate the equipment at your well and help with initial tool calibration
- You then may borrow the equipment seasonally to measure your water level; equipment is loaned for a 2-day period
The County currently monitors wells throughout our community. If you are interested in volunteering your well for County monitoring, please contact Napa County Public Works, as they periodically update the monitoring network. The County publishes an annual report of the status of overall groundwater conditions. Additional groundwater information can be found at: www.napawatersheds.org/groundwater.
DIY Program contacts:
Paul Blank, Napa County Resource Conservation District, 707-252-4189 x3121, paul@naparcd.org
Jeff Sharp, Napa County Public Works, 707-259-5936 or jeff.sharp@countyofnapa.org
