As of 2021, the NRCS began requiring aquifer testing for conservation practice standard (CPS 642) water wells. On November 14, the USDA NRCS Science and Technology hosted a webinar outlining what aquifer testing is, what it isn’t, and why it is important. Aquifer tests are sometimes referred to as pumping tests, drawdown tests, aquifer performance tests, or permeability tests, Kari Scannella, state conservation geologist for NRCS in Bozeman, Montana, explained. “What sets aquifer testing apart is that it’s a controlled test designed to stress the aquifer by extracting groundwater from the well at a constant rate or rates, [. ....

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