Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division Of Water

The Division of Water continues its tradition as a technology leader, particularly in Geographic.
Information Systems and Groundwater monitoring telemetry, as detailed in this report on aquifer management.

FEATURE: Groundwater Monitoring Initiative- Network Expansion and New Technologies

Introduction
Indiana’s economy depends heavily on its water resources. Energy production, industry, agriculture, and public water supply are major consumers of these resources (Indiana Chamber of Commerce, 2014, 2024). The state draws water supplies from both surface waters and groundwater reserves. To effectively manage these resources, Indiana maintains monitoring programs that track streams, lakes, aquifers, and precipitation conditions. Experts and stakeholders across multiple sectors see a pressing need. They believe Indiana should expand its hydrologic monitoring network. This expansion will better support the state’s future economic growth. In response, the DNR is implementing new technologies. They are also developing initiatives to broaden the scope and capabilities of Indiana’s water monitoring infrastructure. This is done for better aquifer management.

We collaborated with DNR’s Mapping and Information Systems (MIS) Department. We also worked with Indiana’s Office of Technology (IOT), Verizon, Senzary LLC, the DNR Division of Forestry, and Brownsburg Utilities. They have successfully designed, installed, and operated two groundwater monitoring wells featuring wireless data streaming capabilities. This initiative showcases advanced aquifer management techniques.

This monitoring platform offers several advantages. It provides real-time data access for assessing instrument functionality or local water levels. It also enhances efficiency and safety for staff. Experts have identified a need for network expansion. This DNR initiative’s wireless technology may provide considerable savings. It also offers decision-making alternatives over current practices.

Current Monitoring Efforts
The Division of Water funds long-term hydrologic monitoring stations throughout Indiana. These include stream gages on our rivers and streams. They also include groundwater monitoring wells in targeted aquifer systems. Additionally, there are water level gages on freshwater lakes. The division’s annual commitment of nearly $500,000 leverages matching funds from USGS to support two monitoring networks which are critical for effective aquifer management:

1. USGS current conditions (real-time) monitoring network

• 46 Streamgages
• 43 Groundwater wells
• 4 Lake level gages

The Indiana DNR Groundwater Voluntary Monitoring Program (VMP) has a network of 60 wells to maintain groundwater data collection and enhance understanding of groundwater resources. DNR funds USGS to operate and maintain these sites, with real-time data available online under a $450,000 annual contract. For VMP, DNR covers initial equipment and operational costs, relying on quarterly data collection and processing by USGS, which costs $50,000 annually. Unlike real-time networks, VMP data is collected in batches after verification.

The Division of Water is piloting wireless data streaming technology for groundwater monitoring to improve data management and efficiency. New monitoring wells are needed to better characterize water availability, and innovative solutions are being explored to optimize costs and decision-making in aquifer management.

Collaborations with various entities have led to the designing and operating of two wireless monitoring wells, enhancing staff safety and real-time data access.

The Division of Water is taking action to address current network needs. They plan to expand the network based on expert recommendations. To achieve this, they have initiated a pilot project using wireless data streaming technology at groundwater monitoring wells. A commitment to long-term hydrologic monitoring is essential to ensure the reliability of the resource in the future. Estimates indicate that the state needs dozens to hundreds of new monitoring wells to characterize water availability satisfactorily. Depending on site characteristics, objectives, needs, and funding levels, costs can vary. This includes the integration of the Telemetry pilot site HD5 in Hendricks County. The equipment is built to receive data from the site’s monitoring well wirelessly. It then relays that information to the online dashboard system (SENZARY LLC). These new technologies enable DNR to explore various solution combinations across different cost levels. Enhanced solution combinations offer efficient and strategic decision-making in water resource management to identify cost-saving and beneficial alternatives, such as additional funding for surface and weather monitoring stations.

The telemetry dashboard presents monitoring data from two pilot study wells (PE1 in Perry County and HD5 in Hendricks County). The interface includes four main components: 1) A circular gauge showing overall aquifer status, 2) Three water table depth (WTD) visualizations comparing measurements between sites – including raw data, daily means, and daily maximums, 3) An interactive map showing the locations of both monitoring sites, and 4) A data panel displaying selected asset details and system alarms. The dashboard allows for temporal comparison across 7 days and provides real-time monitoring of critical water level thresholds.