Statewide Groundwater Quality Monitoring Program: Harney County DEQ21-LAB-0021-TR (Rev
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Statewide Groundwater Quality Monitoring Program: Harney County DEQ21-LAB-0021-TR (Rev. 1.1) May 2021 DEQ21-LAB-0012-TR, Rev. 1.1 i This report prepared by: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division 7202 NE Evergreen Parkway Hillsboro, OR 97124 www.oregon.gov/DEQ Authors: Paige Haxton-Evans, Natural Resource Specialist Dan Brown, Natural Resource Specialist Contact: Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division 503-693-5700 Pictures on cover page from top left to bottom right: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Fence Removal Panorama by Lloyd Irwin (onda.org); DEQ monitoring specialist Michael Mulvey sampling a domestic well; View of Steens Mountain by Jeff Sorn - Oregon Department of Transportation - Buena Vista Overlook (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24374910); Field sampling picture of stock watering well; DEQ monitoring specialist Nicholas Haxton-Evans sampling a monitoring well in Virginia Valley. DEQ can provide documents in an alternate format or in a language other than English upon request. Call DEQ at 800-452-4011 or email [email protected] DEQ21-LAB-0012-TR, Rev. 1.1 ii Table of Contents Executive Summary..................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Background ............................................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Statewide Groundwater Quality Monitoring Program ...................................................................................... 4 1.2 Study Area Description ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2.1 Study Area Boundary................................................................................................................. 4 1.2.2 Geology ...................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.3 Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.2.4 Land use ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2.5 Climate ....................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2.6 Previous DEQ Monitoring ......................................................................................................... 6 1.2.7 Other DEQ monitoring in the area ............................................................................................. 6 1.2.8 Real Estate Transaction Domestic Well Testing ....................................................................... 7 1.2.9 Public Drinking Water Systems ................................................................................................. 7 1.2.10 Harney County Watershed Council Monitoring ...................................................................... 8 1.2.11 Other Continued Monitoring ................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Study Objectives ............................................................................................................................................... 8 2. Study Design and Methods ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Study Design ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Study Area Selection ................................................................................................................. 9 2.1.2 Sample Selection........................................................................................................................ 9 2.1.3 Analyte Selection ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Methods .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.1 Sampling Methods ................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 Context for Data Interpretation ................................................................................................ 11 3. Results and Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Well Characteristics ........................................................................................................................................ 12 3.1.1 Well Log Availability .............................................................................................................. 12 3.1.2 Characteristics of Wells Sampled ............................................................................................ 14 3.1.3 Well Log Bias .......................................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................................. 16 3.2.1 Nitrate ...................................................................................................................................... 18 3.2.2 Arsenic ..................................................................................................................................... 20 3.2.3 Coliform Bacteria and E. coli .................................................................................................. 20 3.2.4 Pesticides ................................................................................................................................. 22 3.2.5 Consumer Product Constituents ............................................................................................... 24 DEQ21-LAB-0012-TR, Rev. 1.1 iii 3.2.6 Volatile Organic Compounds .................................................................................................. 25 3.2.7 Boron ....................................................................................................................................... 27 3.2.8 Manganese ............................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.9 Uranium ................................................................................................................................... 29 3.2.10 Vanadium ............................................................................................................................... 29 3.2.11 Lead ....................................................................................................................................... 30 3.2.12 Aluminum .............................................................................................................................. 30 3.2.13 Selenium ................................................................................................................................ 30 3.3 Seasonal differences ........................................................................................................................................ 30 3.4 Effects of Well Characteristics on Water Quality ........................................................................................... 32 4. Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 32 5. Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 33 6.References .............................................................................................................................................. 34 Appendix A Complete Site List ............................................................................................................. 37 Appendix B Full Analyte List ................................................................................................................ 42 Appendix C Methodology for Sampling Isotopes .................................................................................. 46 Appendix D Example of Results Letter and Laboratory Report ............................................................ 48 Appendix E Example of a Well Drilling Report (Water Well Report) .................................................. 66 DEQ21-LAB-0012-TR, Rev. 1.1 iv Executive Summary Oregon stated objective groundwater Groundwater Monitoring Program received funding to begin collecting water quality data in 2015.1 The goals of the program are to establish the status of ambient groundwater conditions, identify emerging groundwater quality problems and inform groundwater users of potential risks from contamination. Groundwater studies are conducted aquifers over a 10-year period. Regional study areas are selected based on previously identified groundwater vulnerabilities, environmental justice concerns, nitrate data collected during