Office of Ground Water Characterization
Above Left: Acoustic Televiewer Logging of Louisa State Observation Well.
Above Right: Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater Breccia Horizon in Sediment Core.
Legislation and funding approved by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2005 session established the DEQ Office of Ground Water Characterization (OGWC) in response to negative impacts experienced by many localities, businesses, and domestic well users during the drought of 2002. Two new staff positions were created and one existing position was reorganized within the Division of Water Resources to create the OGWC under the leadership of Scott Bruce. The office has been fully staffed since mid February 2006 by three regional staff members Todd Beach-Coastal Plain, Brad White-Piedmont-Blue Ridge, and Joel Maynard, Valley-Plateau.
Borehole Image of Water-Filled Limestone Cavern Encountered in Municipal Water Well. (Cambrian Elbrook Formation, Rockingham County)
The organizational objective of the Office of Ground Water Characterization is to protect Virginia’s environment and promote the health and well being of its citizens by collecting, evaluating, and interpreting technical information necessary to manage ground water resources of the Commonwealth. The OGWC staff works to assure that necessary information is available to support resource management decisions, water supply planning activities, assess ground water availability, facilitate drought monitoring, and support the expansion or creation of ground water management areas.