Status of Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program


In Reply Refer To:                          December 27, 1991
Mail Stop 411


OFFICE OF GROUND WATER TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 92.02

Subject:  Status of Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program

The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) Program is one of the
most significant and most favorably received long-term programs of
the Water Resources Division.  You may be interested in knowing
what results the program has produced as of today.  Attached are
some statistical data that illustrate the overall accomplishments
of the program as of May 1991.

The total appropriation to the RASA program, from FY 1978 to
FY 1991, was about $178 million, of which $135 million was
directly allocated to the RASA projects (attachment 1).  As of May
1991, the RASA Program has completed 876 papers/reports (excluding
abstracts) and many reports are still in review or in preparation.
About one-half of the reports were published either as
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) formal publications or as scientific
journal articles; the rest were published as informal USGS
publications (attachment 1).  A significant by-product of the RASA
Program is the compilation of a ground-water atlas at a regional
scale.  This atlas not only summarizes RASA results but also
regionalizes ground-water information resulting from various
studies conducted for decades by the USGS and other agencies.
This atlas will be published as U.S Geological Survey Hydrologic
Investigations Atlas HA-730 and will contain 14 chapters.  One of
the chapters presents an overview of ground-water conditions
nationwide, describes effects of development and land uses such as
saltwater encroachment and land subsidence, and includes maps that
show locations of major aquifers on a national scale.  The
remaining 13 chapters describe geologic and hydrologic conditions
for major aquifers in each regional area and collectively become
13 regional segments that cover 50 States and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico.

The RASA Program also heavily supports the National Research
Program (attachment 2) for long-term benefits to the science of
hydrology and hydrogeology.  Overall, the RASA Program has had
outstanding results.  However, some management lessons have been
learned.  These experiences will help the Water Resources Division
to improve execution of future long-term programs.

Also attached for your information is a copy of Water-Resources
Investigations Report 91-4122 entitled "Bibliography of Regional
Aquifer-System Analysis Program of the U.S. Geological Survey,
1978-91," by Sun and Weeks.

Office of Ground Water Technical Memorandum No. 92.02   2

If you have questions on the RASA Program or need additional
copies of the attached report, please telephone Ren Jen Sun at
FTS 959-5005 or (703)648-5005.



                                    Joseph S. Rosenshein
                                    Acting Chief, Office
                                    of Ground Water

3 Attachments

Distribution:  A, B, S, FO, PO