Groundwater Basics
What is groundwater? Where does it come from? Where does it go? What is an aquifer? An artesian well? How do streams interact with groundwater?
- Groundwater and aquifers
- Groundwater movement
- Groundwater and surface water interactions
- Groundwater and wells
- Natural groundwater characteristics
This section, including most illustrations, was adapted with permission from "What is Groundwater?" by Lyle Raymond, Jr. (© Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, July 1988).
Oregon's Groundwater Geology
What makes your region special? Read the Underground Story of Water in Oregon. Check out the many resources available to you.
- Cascades and central Oregon Aquifers
- Basalt Flow Aquifers of northeastern Oregon
- Willamette and other river valleys aquifers
- Coast mountains and south eastern Oregon aquifers
Human Impacts on Oregon's Groundwater
How have our activities affected the quality and quantity of groundwater? Do some parts of the state have greater concerns than others? Find out more from the research done by US Geological Survey, Oregon Water Resources Department and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.