BLM Approves Gunlock Groundwater Study Wells

A new groundwater study near Gunlock could help Washington County better understand how much water can be sustainably drawn from the area as the region continues working to meet long-term demand.

Collect Hydrogeologic Data

The Bureau of Land Management’s St. George Field Office has approved a right-of-way for observation wells tied to the Gunlock wellfield. The Washington County Water Conservancy District applied for four small observation-well sites just south of Gunlock Reservoir — three on BLM land and one on state land. According to BLM documents, the wells are intended to collect hydrogeologic data on groundwater availability and sustainable yield to guide future water-management decisions.

Environmental Impact

The wells would be drilled to depths of roughly 600 to 1,000 feet. During construction, each location could temporarily use an area about 50 feet by 100 feet for a drill rig, trailers, mud tanks, and related equipment. Once work is complete, each permanent site would be reduced to an approximately 4-by-4-foot concrete pad with a protective steel casing and locking cap rising about 18 inches above the ground. No new access roads are planned, and all sites are in previously disturbed areas or existing rights-of-way.

WCWCD Monitoring

The data could support water-supply reliability, drought planning, water deliveries, administration of water rights and the coordinated use of surface water and groundwater. WCWCD staff would initially monitor the wells frequently, then shift to monthly or quarterly readings using pressure transducers, data loggers and manual depth measurements.

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BLM concluded the project would not significantly affect the environment and approved it under a categorical exclusion. The agency also required protections for cultural resources, wildlife and migratory birds, including restrictions on disruptive drilling work during the primary nesting season from April 1 through July 31. For fast-growing Washington County, the project is ultimately about information: determining how much groundwater is available near Gunlock without overusing the resource future residents may depend on.