TP – 1186 An Introduction to Planning Groundwater Investigations for Professional Engineers

Description

In ground-water investigations, each study is unique in the problems presented and the solutions available. Guidelines are available, but no single step-by-step approach will be very successful over the range of investigations encountered by ground-water professionals. Planning a ground-water investigation or project requires a thorough appreciation of the purpose, the scope of the work required, the areal extent and geologic complexity of the area involved, and the limitations imposed by available financing and allotted time. Ground-water hydrology is a dynamic and inexact science. The accuracy and reliability of acquired data usually increase with the time available for observation and interpretation, and much of the success and value of such an investigation depends on the imagination, experience, and judgment of the ground-water technical specialists involved.