Geology 409 / 509: Groundwater Flow

Seepage Meters and Minipiezometers
We use seepage meters and minipiezometers to estimate the seepage flux, hydraulic head gradient, and the K of the lake sediment at a lake close to Iowa State University.

Bag from the seepage meter is full!

Student moves his seepage meter to a better location.

Measuring seepage rates into the lake

Steam Gauging
We gage discharge in a small stream in central Iowa by measuring current velocity, the cross-sectional area, and using standard USGS methods to determine Q.

How many students does it take to gauge a stream?

Water-table Mapping
We map the water table using existing monitoring wells in a small part of a watershed. In the process, we show the potential interaction of groundwater and surface water.

How many students does it take to make a water-table map?

Surveying and GPS
Students are introduced to the basic concepts of surveying using a level and a total station. Trimble GPS units are used to spatially reference the wells for water-table mapping.