Protect Your Shoreline With An Itasca Waters Shoreland Advisor

Groundwater, Springs and Effects on Lakes

Groundwater and surface water in lakes are often treated as separate systems, but they are frequently connected. Anyone who has felt a rush of cold water near the lake bottom in summer, or noticed areas that never seem to freeze in winter knows this - those are from groundwater seeps!. This presentation will explain how scientists detect and measure exchanges between groundwater and surface water, and why these connections matter for water quantity and quality in both lakes and groundwater aquifers.

Presented By: Dr. Crystal Ng, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota. Crystal is a professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. She teaches classes in hydrogeology, including a summer field course in north-central Minnesota. Her research focuses on integrated hydrological computer modeling and fieldwork to understand how shallow groundwater systems respond to climate change, land-use/cover change, and contamination. Recently she has also been conducting community-engaged research, through which she strives to demonstrate the need for collaboration with Indigenous communities, inclusion of other knowledge systems, and work towards environmental justice.