Groundwater data collection for the Quinault Indian Nation, Grays Harbor and Jefferson Counties, Washington

Abstract

Groundwater data were collected on the Quinault Indian Reservation to provide the Quinualt Indian Nation (QIN) with basic knowledge of the existing wells and springs on the reservation, and to establish a water-level network to be monitored by QIN to begin building a long-term groundwater dataset. The 327 mi 2 Quinault Indian Reservation is located within the heavily forested Queets-Quinault watershed along the west-central coast of Washington and includes the coastal communities of Taholah and Queets, and the inland community of Amanda Park. Groundwater data were collected or compiled for 87 sites—82 wells and 5 springs. In October 2016, a field inventory was done to locate the sites and acquire site data. Groundwater levels were measured in 15 of the field-inventoried wells and 3 of those wells were observed as flowing (artesian). A monthly groundwater‑level monitoring network of 13 wells was established by the U.S. Geological Survey in March 2017, and the network was transferred to QIN in June 2017 for continued measurements. Several data needs were identified that would provide a more complete understanding of the groundwater system of the Quinault Indian Reservation. The collection of monthly water-level data for multiple years is an important first step in understanding seasonal and long term changes in water levels. Additionally, the collection of baseline groundwater chemistry and quality data across the reservation would help with future efforts to monitor existing and potentially changing groundwater quality conditions. Development of a water budget of the Queets-Quinault Watershed and the reservation within that area would provide water users with a better understanding of this important resource and provide needed information about the competing demands on local water sources.