United States	Robert S. Kerr Environmental
Environmental Protection	Research Laboratory
Agency	Ada OK 74820
Research and Development	EPA-600/S2-84-053 Apr. 1984
*>EPA Project Summary
Protocol for Establishment of a
Ground Water Management and
Protection Plan
Local officials can provide the impetus
for the establishment of a management
program for water-supply aquifers. This
report provides information on the de-
velopment of a management plan for a
specific aquifer in Oklahoma. The report
outlines specific major steps that were
taken to accomplish the task. The ap-
proach should be transferable to other
areas of the country.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Robert S. Kerr Environmental
Research Laboratory, Ada, OK, to an-
nounce key findings of the research pro-
ject that are fuiiy documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
This research project was designed to
develop a protocol for the development and
implementation of a plan for protecting,
developing and managing aquifers. The ini-
tial step for the study was to establish an
association, which was made up of a rep-
resentative from each general purpose local
unit of government within the production/re-
charge area of the aquifer. The group, here-
after referred to as the Association, had the
responsibility for the project design, consul-
tant selection, policy direction, plan selec-
tion and program implementation for the
research project.
Technical guidance for the project was
gained from a technical committee made up
of a technical or professional representative
from each local government represented on
the Association, and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Project Officer. This
group met on a regular basis to review the
technical progress of the project and to ad-
vise the project manager in areas where
assistance was needed.
The final administrative activity of the
Association was to establish an Advisory
Committee, made up of representatives of
national water resource agencies, state agen-
cies and other water-related groups outside
the aquifer area. The purpose of the com-
mittee was to provide technical input that
would enhance the transferability of the
results of the study to other areas of the
country.
A detailed work plan was developed to
guide the project to its successful comple-
tion. The work categories and approach for
completion included:
Physical Characteristics of the Aquifer
•	Assemble and synthesize existing
data.
•	Develop and implement data storage
and retrieval system.
•	Construct aquifer definition wells.
•	Collect and analyze data.
•	Maintain interagency communication.
Background Water Quality
•	Assemble and synthesize existing
data.
•	Establish a ground-water monitoring
system.
•	Construct water quality monitoring
wells.
•	Collect and analyze data.
•	Maintain interagency communication.
Present and Future Water Uses
•	Assemble and synthesize existing
data.
•	Develop and implement a municipal
records system.
•	Inventory existing wells.
•	Modify existing wells.
•	Maintain interagency communication.
Modeling
•	Develop criteria for model selection.
•	Select model.
•	Establish model, enter data and deter-
mine critical parameters.
•	Calibrate model.
Public Participation Program
•	Identify objectives.
•	Identify "public."

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•	Select appropriate techniques.
•	Conduct program.
Management Plan
•	Technical considerations.
•	Institutional factors.
•	Environmental factors.
•	Interagency coordination.
Reports
•	Progress reports.
•	Protocol report.
•	Technical report.
The tasks outlined were performed by the
staff of the Association, consultants, person-
nel from the State Water Resources Board,
State Department of Health, or National
Center for Ground-Water Research.
Results
The major accomplishments of this study
include:
•	Development of a uniform municipal
record-keeping and data collection
system. This system provides a uniform
means to collect data on municipal
water wells and place this data into a
computerized data system. It provides
a cost savings to municipalities through
close monitoring of well fields, charting
well efficiencies and elimination of major
breakdowns through early detection of
problems.
•	Development of a suggested oil and gas
ordinance for consideration and use by
cities and towns located on the aquifer.
This ordinance was developed with the
cooperation of the state oil and gas
regulatory agency as an additional step
toward protecting the aquifer from con-
tamination which would result from
oil/gas drilling, development and pro-
duction, or subsurface injection of
liquids.
•	Identification of a water-quality problem
involving high levels of chromium, se-
lenium, arsenic and uranium. Gamma
ray logging tools and other test pro-
cedures are being used to attempt to
delineate areas of uranium mineraliza-
tion. Various methods for mitigating
these problems are being explored.
Also, multi-depth monitoring wells have
been installed to give data on water
quality at various depths in the aquifer.
•	Examination of the pollution potential
from various manmade sources of con-
tamination. The sources include oil-field
activities, urban runoff, pits, ponds, and
lagoons, and septic tanks.
•	Definition of management objectives for
the aquifer. A protocol flow chart was
developed to guide agencies through
the evaluation process. See Figure 1.
Figure 1. Protocol flowchart. The chart indicates steps to be taken to insure that local aquifers
are fully evaluated and adequately protected for future uses. (Continued on next
page.}

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Figure 1. Continued.
Conclusions and
Recommendations
The success of an aquifer management
plan depends upon the degree of interest the
people at the local level have on the
resource. Regulation must be acceptable to
the users before any plans can be developed
or implemented. Therefore, all users of a par-
ticular aquifer must be involved in the de-
velopment of the management plan.
Management of aquifers at the state or
federal level should be considered only if
local governments are unwilling or unable to
manage the resource. Local government,
preferably a ground-water district whose
boundaries coincide with the aquifer
boundaries, should be responsible for
management of the aquifer, water quantity
as well as water quality. State and federal
agencies should provide technical support
and maintain specific research efforts related
to movement of pollutants in the ground-
water environment.
This Project Summary was prepared by staff of The Association of Central
Oklahoma Governments. Oklahoma City. OK 73118.
J. T. Thornhill is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Protocol for Establishment of a Ground Water
Management and Protection Plan." (Order No. PB 84-159 292; Cost: $ 19.00,
subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1198
Ada. OK 74820
¦tr U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; 1984 - 758-016/7646
3

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