Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ME_2023_Schattman

Hydrologic and hydraulic performance of novel shallow wells in agricultural landscapes

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $33,001 Total Non-Federal Funds: $34,227

Principal Investigators: Rachel Schattman

Project Summary: Novel shallow wells are a new design that have great potential to provide water for farms and other users during periods of drought. They are applicable in glacial till soils, which are common in the upper Midwest and Northeast of the United States. These wells function as constructed underground aquifers. Our project will evaluate the new well design for reliability, consistency of water availability, and water safety. We will evaluate the wells in the context of agroecological systems, meaning that we will assess their usefulness based on how effectively they will meet the needs of irrigated crop producers and livestock producers.