 INTERVIEW with Dave Cashell, Water Inventory Program Manager, Division of Water
What do you do to support sustainable development in Ohio?
I oversee our division’s water inventory program that focuses on collecting data about Ohio’s ground and surface water resources, including aquifers, reservoirs and streams. The data we collect is very important for understanding the water storage situation and how it relates to water supply availability across Ohio. We also collect climate and weather data and track how changes in climate and weather conditions impact aquifers and surface water throughout the state. Individuals, local governments, businesses and other groups use our information to make planning decisions about development.
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Reviewing Observation Well Gauge
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Remotely Monitored Well
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How do you collect ground water data?
We have established a water-well network currently consisting of 140 wells distributed throughout the state. Equipment at these sites records fluctuating ground water levels, which help track how ground water supplies respond to changing climate and weather conditions and local use of the aquifers for water supply. In the photo, I am reviewing ground water level data from an observation well gauge.
A few of our sites are remotely monitored, for example the photo shows one of my staff servicing a remotely monitored well, notice the antennae. The wells are located in different hydrogeologic settings including areas with little ground water withdrawals and areas of large ground water withdrawals. Data on some wells goes back nearly 70 years.
How do you collect surface water data?
Tracking the surface water resources in Ohio requires a cooperative effort from many state, federal and local agencies including the Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U. S. Geological Survey, the U. S Army Corps of Engineers, the National Weather Service, the Miami Conservancy District and many Ohio cities just to name a few. Through these funding sources, we have developed a network of around 190 stream-flow monitoring sites in Ohio for data collection as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water Resources Data Program. The data acquired from about 170 of these sites is continually updated in real time because of its importance locally for potential flooding or drought situations. This data also helps us calculate water supply and is used by local communities in Ohio to design transportation and sanitation systems and to plan land use.
 Are there other ways you use your collected data?
Yes, we use this data to produce one of our most popular publications, the Monthly Water Inventory Report for Ohio. This report summarizes recent precipitation and other hydrologic conditions statewide and analyzes and interprets this information to assess its impact on regional water supply situations. The data used in the report is collected at the end of each month from several observation points around the state, called index stations. The index stations include wells, stream gauging sites and reservoir stations. They have been selected based on their ability to provide accurate data, available historical records and minimal artificial effects from manmade influences including dams, diversions and water withdrawals.
What is most challenging about your job?
It is a challenge balancing the need for water resource data with the funding available to collect, process and interpret the data. As government programs increasingly compete for limited resources, our job is to convince budgetary decision-makers how important this information is today, and will be many years from now. This is because our information is the basis for all water resource planning and management decisions that impact the health, safety and welfare of all the people of Ohio. |