May 24, 1999

The Utah Ground Water Association, at the request of WSU Department of Geosciences professor Marek Matyjasik, drilled wells into a small aquifer located about 50 feet beneath the campus in Ogden, Utah. These are the first educational wells in the state and will provide students at WSU and other educational institutions the opportunity to conduct several types of aquifer tests, which typically involve pumping a known volume of water from a well and monitoring changes of water levels.

The U.S. Geological Survey, the Utah Geological Survey, and several drilling supply companies cooperated in the UGWA project. The USGS supplied the drilling rig, drilling crew, and an on-site hydrologist. The drilling supply companies donated parts to construct the well and a pump to be used to conduct the aquifer tests. The UGS will analyze drill cuttings -- the bits of rock and earth recovered from the hole -- by subjecting them to microscopic examination, and will also provide well logs and tables describing the earth material penetrated by the wells.

The joint effort emphasizes the importance of this project in light of Wasatch Front growth and the limited amount of water resources in the region. This educational well field is one of very few nationwide, and the only one in Utah.

Representatives from WSU, hydrologists from the USGS, geologists from the UGS, members of UGWA, and representatives of drilling firms that donated parts for the project will attend the first pumping, which is open to the public.