Measuring Groundwater–Stream Water Exchange: New Techniques for Installing Minipiezometers and Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity

Abstract

Measurements of groundwater–stream water interactions are increasingly recognized as important to understanding the ecology of fishes and other organisms in stream and riparian ecosystems. However, standard measurement techniques are often feasible only at small spatial scales, in areas with easy access, or in systems with relatively fine substrata. We developed simple new techniques for installing minipiezometers and obtaining estimates of vertical hydraulic gradient, hydraulic conductivity, and specific discharge in gravel and cobble streambeds that allowed for large numbers of measurements to be obtained in remote locations. Our approach yielded values comparable to those obtained through more traditional methods. Consequently, these techniques may provide a labor cost-efficient way for detecting groundwater−stream water interaction patterns that are critical labor-attributes of stream and riparian systems at multiple scales.