Location in Landscape

Flow Direction

Groundwater is not a static system. The water beneath our feet is constantly flowing, however it moves much more slowly than the streams we see above ground. As the water moves through the ground, one foot per day or higher is typically considered a high rate of speed for groundwater with water moving as slowly as one foot per year or even slower in some places. The direction of this flow is toward surface water.

 

Recharge and Discharge Areas

Areas where groundwater is typically flow into the groundwater system are referred to as recharge areas while areas where it exits the system are called discharge areas. Discharge areas are the wetlands, lakes and streams where groundwater exits the groundwater system to become surface water. The divides between recharge areas are the places with the greatest distance and elevation change relative to the surface waters the water entering the groundwater system will eventually discharge to. In the divides between recharge areas, the water flows primarily downward. This flow direction becomes more lateral as the water moves toward the discharge area, and in many cases can actually flow up from the pressure.

Due to this constant movement, and the differing rates of flow, a well that is placed close to a recharge area divide must be drilled much deeper to capture older water than one drilled close to a discharge area to capture water of the same age.