Odd water aquifer levels?

Joined
Jun 5, 2003
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Location
Apple Valley, California
Back to my well issues.

My neighbor less than 1/4 mile away had to drill a new well. I'm looking at the same problem soon.

But untill then.

His well is @3065 elevation.
They hit water @ 280 ft below the surface.

My well is @3109 elevation
My water is also somewhere around 280 below the surface.

Since my well is 44 ft higher than his shouldn't my water be @324 below the surface?

Is the water table flat? Or does it somehow follow the contour of the land?
 
The water table is not flat. That water may rest in an underground reservoir or within layers of porous sediment like sand, silt, and gravel. Sometimes groundwater is only a few feet beneath the surface, or can be a hundred feet deeper.
 
The water table is not flat. That water may rest in an underground reservoir or within layers of porous sediment like sand, silt, and gravel. Sometimes groundwater is only a few feet beneath the surface, or can be a hundred feet deeper.
Ok so I can't determine how much water I have by his measurements?
 
Ok so I can't determine how much water I have by his measurements?
Nope. Even out here our wells vary wildly and we’re at about 800ft elevation, ranging from a static water level of 8ft to 80 with a wild range of well depth, some people have 60ft deep wells others are pushing 200.
 
@Chris142 Water levels in porous material (the 'saturated zone') may actually be higher in certain areas than others:

 
@Chris142 Water levels in porous material (the 'saturated zone') may actually be higher in certain areas than others:

Thanks. I assumed it was flat
 
I'm a geologist...the water table can be variable. Your groundwater elevation is 2,829 ft msl and his 1/4 away is 2,785 so ~40' higher than your neighbor which can be normal to see a gradient like that over a 1/4 mile...means groundwater flow should be generally towards his well from yours if both wells are in the same aquifer zone. Don't do much hydrogeology these days but did early in my career.

What sort of issues are you having?
 
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I'm a geologist...the water table can be variable. Your groundwater elevation is 2,829 ft msl and his 1/4 away is 2,785 so ~40' higher than your neighbor which can be normal to see a gradient like that over a 1/4 mile...means groundwater flow should be generally towards his well from yours if both wells are in the same aquifer zone. Don't do much hydrogeology these days but did early in my career.

What sort of issues are you having?
That’s only around 17 psi Dp … so would take some good permeability to drive it that distance, right … ?
 
That’s only around 17 psi Dp … so would take some good permeability to drive it that distance, right … ?
I was just giving some general information. Groundwater flows from higher to lower elevation. The rate will be dependent on several factors but yes permeability is one. I wasn't pointing to the reason his well is (assumed) going dry is flow to the other well.
 
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