Groundwater Report Lake Superior North Watershed
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Groundwater Report Lake Superior North Watershed December 2016 Authors The MPCA is reducing printing and mailing costs by using the Internet to distribute reports and Sophia Vaughan information to wider audience. Visit our Jane de Lambert website for more information. Editing MPCA reports are printed on 100% post- consumer recycled content paper David Duffey manufactured without chlorine or chlorine Andrew Streitz derivatives. Support Project dollars provided by the Clean Water Fund; from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Road North | Saint Paul, MN 55155-4194 | 651-296-6300 | 800-657-3864 | Or use your preferred relay service. | [email protected] This report is available in alternative formats upon request, and online at www.pca.state.mn.us. Document number: wq-ws1-13 Contents I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 The watershed monitoring approach ............................................................................................................... 2 Watershed overview ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Land use ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 Ecoregion and soils ........................................................................................................................................... 5 II. Climate and precipitation ................................................................................................................. 7 III. Surface water hydrology ............................................................................................................. 10 Streamflow ..................................................................................................................................................... 11 Lake levels ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 IV. Hydrogelogy ............................................................................................................................... 17 Surficial and bedrock geology ........................................................................................................................ 17 Groundwater Provinces.................................................................................................................................. 19 Aquifers .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Groundwater pollution sensitivity ................................................................................................................. 21 Groundwater potential recharge ................................................................................................................... 23 V. Groundwater quality ...................................................................................................................... 25 Ambient groundwater network ..................................................................................................................... 25 Regional groundwater quality ........................................................................................................................ 26 VI. Groundwater quantity ................................................................................................................ 31 Groundwater and surface water withdrawals ............................................................................................... 31 MNDNR Observation Wells ............................................................................................................................ 34 VII. Evapotranspiration ..................................................................................................................... 36 Evapotranspiration definition ........................................................................................................................ 36 Evapotranspiration variation across Minnesota ............................................................................................ 36 VIII. Conclusion: Statement of groundwater condition ........................................................................ 38 Surface water quality ..................................................................................................................................... 38 Groundwater protection ................................................................................................................................ 38 Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................... 41 IX. References ................................................................................................................................. 42 Figures Figure 1: Simplified hydrologic cycle demonstrating the changing states of water above and below the earth’s surface ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Figure 3: Lake Superior North River 8-HUC watershed relief (GIS Source: MNDNR, 2003: ........................................... 3 Figure 2: The location of the Lake Superior North Watershed ...................................................................................... 3 Figure 4: Land cover in the Lake Superior North Watershed (GIS Source: NLCD, 2011) ............................................... 4 Figure 5: Three levels of Ecological Classification System for the Lake Superior North Watershed ............................. 5 Figure 6: Soil classification for the Lake Superior North Watershed (GIS Source: USDA NRCS, 2006) .......................... 6 Figure 7: Precipitation within the hydrologic cycle ....................................................................................................... 7 Figure 8: Statewide precipitation levels during 2014 (Source: MNDNR State Climatology Office, 2015) ..................... 8 Figure 9: Precipitation trends in Northeast Minnesota (1955-2014) with five-year running average .......................... 9 Figure 10: Precipitation trends in Northeast Minnesota (1915-2014) with 10-year running average .......................... 9 Figure 11: Surface water within the hydrologic cycle .................................................................................................. 10 Figure 12: Lakes, wetlands and waterbodies in the Lake Superior North Watershed ................................................ 11 Figure 13: Annual mean discharge for Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage, Minnesota (1996-5015) ... 12 Figure 14: Mean monthly discharge for Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage, Minnesota (1996-2015) . 12 Figure 15: Poplar Lake within Lake Superior North Watershed .................................................................................. 13 Figure 16: Poplar Lake water level elevations (1996-2015) ......................................................................................... 14 Figure 17: Wilson Lake within the Lake Superior North Watershed ........................................................................... 15 Figure 18: Wilson Lake water level elevations (1996-2015) ........................................................................................ 16 Figure 19: Groundwater within the hydrologic cycle .................................................................................................. 17 Figure 20: Quaternary geology, glacial sediments within the Lake Superior North Watershed ................................. 18 Figure 21: Bedrock geology of the Lake Superior North Watershed: Keweenawan Rift and Precambrian Bedrock (GIS Source: MGS, 2011) .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Figure 22: Central and Arrowhead Province generalized cross section (Source: MNDNR, 2011) ............................... 20 Figure 23: Minnesota’s three basic types of aquifers: Igneous and Metamorphic Rock, Sedimentary Rock, and Glacial Sand and Gravel Aquifers (MPCA, 2005) .......................................................................................................... 21 Figure 24: Groundwater contamination susceptibility for the Lake Superior North Watershed ................................ 22 Figure 25: Average annual potential recharge rate to surficial materials in Lake Superior North Watershed ........... 23 Figure 26: Average potential recharge rate percent of grid cells in the Lake Superior North Watershed .................. 24 Figure 27: Average annual potential recharge rate percent of grid cells statewide (1996-2010) ............................... 24 Figure 28: Groundwater quality within the hydrologic cycle ...................................................................................... 25 Figure 29: MPCA ambient groundwater monitoring well locations near the Lake Superior North Watershed .......... 26 Figure 30: Lake Superior North Watershed