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USGS1998

Structure, outcrop, and subcrop of the bedrock aquifers along the western margin of the Denver Basin, Colorado

Bedrock aquifers underlie about 9,000 square miles in northeastern Colorado and are an important source of water for many urban areas, rural communities, farms, ranches, and industries. These aquifers outcrop and subcrop in a complex pattern along the western margin of the Denver Basin. In outcrop areas, the exposed bedrock aquifers are recharged by infiltration of precipitation. In subcrop areas where the bedrock aquifers directly underlie alluvial aquifers, either recharge or discharge may occur as the result of water movement between streams, alluvial aquifers, and the bedrock aquifers.

Colorado↗

USGS1996

Geohydrology of the North Park area, Jackson County, Colorado

Increasing population in rural and suburban areas of Colorado is causing greater reliance on ground water as a source of domestic supply. In the primarily rural area of Jackson County, for example, the number of registered water wells increased from about 100 in 1972 to about 500 in 1995. Most of the new wells were drilled after 1988 and supply water to ranches and summer homes. In Jackson County, ground water is pumped from a series of shallow alluvial aquifers along principal stream valleys and from deeper, more extensive, bedrock aquifers. In much of the area, the alluvial aquifers are thin and can be dewatered by moderate water- level declines. Knowledge of the nature and extent of the alluvial and bedrock aquifers, the sources of recharge and discharge, and the effects of ground- water withdrawal on water levels in the aquifers is vital if management of the area's water resources is to ensure continued availability of a dependable water supply.

Colorado↗