Guam Hydrologic Survey
Guam Public Law 24-247 & 24-161
About Us
Mission Statement
The Guam Hydrologic Survey (GHS) and the Comprehensive Water Monitoring Program (CWMP) were created in 1998 by the 24th Guam Legislature under Public Laws No. 24-247 and 24-161, respectively. The Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) was charged with administering the annual legislative appropriations to drive these two programs and facilitate, direct, and implement their objectives. Both programs are now an integral component of water resources research, information dissemination, education and training on Guam.
Goals
The Guam Hydrologic Survey consolidates and archives new and historical hydrological data collected by local and federal government agencies and private consultants, and conducts research on water-related issues of local importance. GHS also funds a variety of water resource educational programs, including guest lectures and seminars at UOG and in the community, informational and training workshops for teachers and other professionals, field trips and talks for schoolchildren, and the publication and distribution of educational posters, maps, and fact sheets.
The Comprehensive Water Monitoring Program (CWMP) was created to collect data on saltwater intrusion and water lens thickness in Guam’s northern aquifer, and stream flow for surface waters in the south. The program builds on studies previously undertaken by the US Geological Survey (USGS) that had been abandoned in the 1990s because of a discontinuance of matching funds from the Government of Guam. The CWMP annual appropriations from the Guam legislature restored the program in 1998 and since then have facilitated the collaborative reinstatement of these studies with USGS under their 50-50 Federal/State-Territory cost-sharing program for water resource monitoring.
The foresight of the Guam Legislature in creating these two very important programs deserves special mention here. With the continued support of the Legislature, we now maintain several vital water resources databases for Guam and collect essential water resource data in collaboration with the USGS. Our understanding of the complex physical, chemical and biological processes that influence Guam’s water resources has broadened considerably and the increase in graduate student research opportunities has substantially added to the number of highly trained water resources professionals in the island’s technical work force.
Funding
Sustainable Management in Your Hands
The Guam Hydrologic Survey and Comprehensive Water Monitoring Program (GHS and CWMP), Guam Public Laws 24-247 and 24-161, respectively, were established to develop an inter-agency cooperation for gathering and publicly providing water and environmental information. The ultimate goal is to support our quest of determining sustainable development and management of our island’s most valuable renewable resource, water. The mandate intent is to form a network that will help us improve our understanding of our water resources through data collection, analysis, interpretation, recommendations, reports, and presentation in all efforts to determine its optimum development for sustainable utility. GHS and CWMP contains the island’s collection of water resource and related hydrologic and environmental information by way of an organized online database system. Read more >>
Get the PDFs
- Guam Hydrologic Survey – Guam Public Law 24-247
- Comprehensive Water Monitoring Program – Guam Public Law 24-161
- Sustainable Development and Management of Guam’s Groundwater: A Recommended Program – Executive Summary
GHS and CWMP Annual Reports
Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI), University of Guam (UOG), is charged with administering the GHS and CWMP. Annual reports are prepared for the years:
FY1998 Jenson and Jocson (1998) Hydrologic Data Collection on Guam: FY1998 Report, Technical Report No. 83
FY2019 · FY2018 · FY2017 · FY2016 · FY2015 · FY2014 · FY2013 · FY2012 · FY2011 · FY2010 · FY2009 · FY2008 · FY2007 · FY2006 · FY2005
WERI Publications, Conferences, Products, Presentations, and GHS sponsored research products – annual listing, 2020-1998.
Cooperators and Contributors
WERI is also a member of the local water resource interagency organization called the Technical Experts Group (TEG) and the Groundwater Resource Development Group (GWRDG) establish by the 16 July 2010 Memorandum of Understanding between the US Navy and Guam Waterworks Authority (Appendix I). The MOU provides an additional venue for meeting the GHS and CWMP mandates to “establish a direct working relationship with each organization collecting hydrologic data important to Guam, and maintain a permanent flow of new data from each organization to keep the data library up to date.”
Local and federal agencies that are party to or affected by the MOU include Guam Waterworks Authority, Guam Environmental Protection Agency, CUC, US Navy (NAVFACMAR), USAF (36 CES), and USGS. Interagency groups also include private consultants: Duenas Camacho and Associates, Allied Pacific Environmental Consultant (APEC), EA Engineering, Brown and Caldwell, and AECOM.
Meetings are organized and held quarterly at Guam Waterworks Authority (Gloria B. Nelson Public Service Building), Fadian. Current discussion is the expansion of monitoring (observation) wells, see details in CWMP Research Projects section. The interagency group organization, formed of three groups: executive, working, working group, and the technical team (See the GHS and GWRDG organization chart).
The inter-agency group meets quarterly to discuss concerns, pool resources, share ideas, provide update, consult, and gain professional acquaintance and partnerships. Here is a list of agencies in attendance:
Government of Guam
- GWA – Guam Waterworks Authority
- GEPA – Guam Environmental Protection Agency
- GCUC – Guam Consolidated Commission on Utilities
- GBSP – Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans
- GDPW – Guam Department of Public Works
- GPUC – Guam Public Utilities Commission
- NGSWCD – Northern Guam Soil and Water Conservation District
- UOG – University of Guam
- WERI – Water & Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific
US - Federal
- USGS PIWSC – US Geologic Survey: Pacific Islands Water Science Center
- NAVFAC Marianas – Naval Facility Command Marianas, US Navy, Guam
- 36th CE – Environmental Flight, 36 CE SQ, USAF, Andersen AFB, Guam
Private Sector
- AECOM – Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Management: Guam Expansion Project
- APDI – Allied Pacific Drilling Inc.
- APEC – Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting, Inc.
- B & C – Brown and Caldwell: Essential Ingredients ®
- DCA – Duenas, Camacho and Associates, Inc.
- GHD – Gutteridge Haskins & Davey
- GWK – Guam Water Kids
- IREI – Island Research and Educational Initiative
- PCR – PCR Environmental, Inc.
Interagency Charter and Cooperation Agreements
Guam Water Resources Technical Experts Operating Charter (near final draft)
The Guam Water Resources Technical Experts plan and cooperate towards the best technical solutions and advice in support of sustainable development and management (See Draft of the GWRTE Operating Charter >>).
The operating charter includes the following agencies:
- Guam Waterworks Authority
- Guam Environmental Protection Agency
- Guam Department of Public Works
- Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific
- Department of Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas
- United States Geological Survey
GWA and WERI
GWA and WERI have a great interagency partnership for more than several decades now. We continue to work together and have formed an agreement to expand the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer (NGLA).
GEPA and WERI
WERI and GEPA also have a long history of cooperative partnership through research projects (e.g. GWUDI determination, septic tank survey…), data contribution, water quality lab, scientific advise and recommendations, and field surveys. A memorandum of understanding has been discussed and a document similar to GWA-WERI MOA is in the works and will be done soon.
GHS and CWMP Program Organization
WERI organizes and integrates the GHS and CWMP programs to manage and execute the public law. Below is the WERI personnel organizational chart and each’s duties and responsibilities. The top tier management are WERI hydrogeologist, groundwater hydrologist, and meteorologist. The WERI groundwater hydrologist is the program manager. The research associate reports to the program manager, and is supported by a CWMP student intern.
Groundwater Resources Development Group & Technical Experts Group
WERI is also a member of the local water resource interagency organization called the Technical Experts Group (TEG) and the Groundwater Resource Development Group (GWRDG). The GHS and CWMP mandate requires interagency collaboration and cooperation, as written, “establish a direct working relationship with each organization collecting hydrologic data important to Guam, and maintain a permanent flow of new data from each organization to keep the data library up to date.” Attending local government and federal agencies are Guam Waterworks Authority, Guam Environmental Protection Agency, CUC, US Navy (NAVFAC, Marianas), USAF (CES), and USGS. Our interagency groups also include private consultants: Duenas Camacho and Associates, Allied Pacific Environmental Consultant (APEC), EA Engineering, Brown and Caldwell, and AECOM. Meetings are organized and held quarterly at Guam Waterworks Authority (Gloria B. Nelson Public Service Building), Fadian. Current discussion is the expansion of monitoring (observation) wells, see details in CWMP Research Projects section.
The interagency group is organized in the diagram below. It is formed of three groups: executive, working, working group, and the technical team.
Meet the Team
Web Development
Modeling
Nitrates
Product Development
Information Management
Water Use
Wastewater Treatment
Chlorides
Water Production
Mapping
Web Development
Modeling
Nitrates
Product Development
Information Management
Water Use
Wastewater Treatment
Chlorides
Water Production
Mapping
Past Contributors
Appreciation & Recognition
More Than 20 Years Ago Today - 1998
In 1998, Senators Joanne Salas Brown, Tom Ada, and the late Tony C. Blaz of the 24th Guam Legislature, in accord with Water and Environmental Research Institute, University of Guam, determined that our island’s sustainable management of water resources and future development must include interagency cooperation and access to the most accurate and useful hydrologic information through the Guam Hydrologic Survey Program (GHS) and Comprehensive Water Monitoring Program (CWMP) – Guam P.L. 24-247 and P.L. 24-161. The People of Guam, 24th Guam Legislature, the late Speaker Tony Unpingco, Governor Carl Gutierrez, Committee on Natural Resources, made Guam water information available to everyone. Senate votes: Joanne Brown, Tony Lamorena, Tom Ada, C. Leon Guerrero, Mark Charfauros, Tony Blaz, Antonio Unpingco.
Public Hearing:
Senators: Joanne Brown, Tom Ada, Frank Camacho, and Frank Aguon.
Testimony: Mauryn Quenga, John Jenson, John Jocson, Danko Taborosi, Peter Dumaliang, David Vann, David Dawn, Julianne Duwel, Jesus Salas, and Herbert Johnston.
Memorandums and Statements: Mark Cramer, Galt Siegrist, John Jenson, Julianne Duwel, and John Jocson
34th Guam Legislature
Yearly since, Senator Tom Ada continues to support the island’s hydrologic research, attending WERI’s annual Guam Advisory Council Meeting on water resources and environmental research. In 2015, WERI and Today, the GHS program continues to serve the island as the main source of valuable hydrologic information, most vital for determining protection, sustainability, and best development strategies for our most valuable renewable water resource, the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer. The Northern Guam Lens Aquifer is the most productive source, providing up to 90% of the 45 MGD of utility water. The program has allowed researchers to refine scientific knowledge and develop tools for determining aquifer development.
It has paved way for improved scientific investigations covering various fields of study such as groundwater modeling, hydrogeology, toxicology, wastewater, climatology, sustainable management, hydrologic database, and outreach services. The program allowed data collection, screening, organization, availability and access. Interagency cooperation opened information exchange, which means the best analysis, interpretation, and recommendations. 2018, the 34th Guam Legislature continues to make available your access to the Guam Hydrologic Survey. The GHS Program organizes outreach through workshops and executive aquifer tours.
University of Guam's Good to Great (G2G)
GHS is stationed in the University of Guam, managed at the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific. UOG’s President and Senior Vice President, Drs Robert A. Underwood and Anita B. Enriquez, led the university’s Good to Great (G2G) program, which commands excellence for the University of Guam to serve as the island’s forefront and center of knowledge access and database. The GHS program for the G2G initiative is a “silo buster” through its outreach activities and interagency cooperation services. In 2016 fiber optic internet connection, a robust and very fast information transfer network, were made available throughout the campus. GHS program management takes advantage of this technology to develop this website to provide Guam hydro-informatics “big data” to the world.
GHS UOG Student Success
Outreach Efforts
The GHS outreach program includes the NGLA tour to teach in the field the components of the aquifer. In 2017, WERI, the Guam Water Kids, and Department of Education stop at the DPW quarry to see Barrigada Limestone, which is the rock core that bears much of the NGLA’s freshwater lens. The Guam Water Kids is an outreach program of WERI, managed by Ann and Phil Card, that was funded by Triple J Enterprises and Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants.
