Madelyn Garcia, Watershed Specialist
When most people think about water in Pike County, they picture the Delaware River, mountain streams, or scenic waterfalls. But another critical water source lies beneath the surface: groundwater.
Groundwater fills private wells, sustains wetlands, and keeps streams flowing during dry periods. In Pike County, it is especially important because it serves as the sole source of drinking water for residents and businesses.
Beneath the ground, water fills the tiny spaces between soil, sand, and rock. When enough of these spaces become saturated, they form an underground water layer known as the water table. Below this layer, water collects in underground formations called aquifers. Aquifers are natural storage systems made up of rock, sand, gravel, or fractured bedrock that hold and slowly move water underground.
If you have ever dug a hole at the beach and watched water slowly seep in, you have seen groundwater in action.
Aquifers supply water to wells drilled into these underground layers, allowing homes, businesses, and communities to access the water stored below the surface.
According to the Pennsylvania Groundwater Information System (PaGWIS), more than 8,500 private wells are documented in Pike County, though the true number is likely higher because reporting is voluntary. Public water systems also rely on groundwater. The Pennsylvania Drinking Water Reporting System lists 237 public drinking water systems in the county, including 38 community systems and more than 200 non-community systems serving schools, campgrounds, rest stops, and businesses.
Because groundwater moves slowly and invisibly through layers of rock and soil, understanding how it changes over time requires careful monitoring.
In 2007, the Pike County Conservation District partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to establish a countywide groundwater monitoring network, the first program of its kind in Pike County. The effort followed a Comprehensive Groundwater Quality Assessment that identified the need for long-term groundwater monitoring.
Today, the network includes 20 monitoring wells located throughout the county, many within the Raymondskill–Delaware River and Bushkill watersheds. These areas are especially important to track because their geology, narrow drainage basins, and fast groundwater flow pathways can cause water levels to change quickly in response to rainfall, drought, and water use.
The wells monitor groundwater levels in both fractured bedrock and glacial aquifers, which store and release water differently across the landscape. In the Raymondskill–Delaware River region, glacial aquifers provide significant public water supply, making consistent monitoring especially important.
Through this partnership with USGS, Pike County has collected groundwater data since 2007 and is now one of only five counties in Pennsylvania contributing to long-term statewide groundwater records. These observations are continuously shared through USGS Groundwater Watch, where residents, planners, and researchers can track groundwater levels and better understand drought risk and water supply trends.
How Ground Water Occurs. (USGS)
How deep a well needs to go depends on the local geology. In some places, groundwater sits close to the surface and can be reached with shallow wells. In Pike County, however, groundwater is often stored in fractured bedrock, which means wells may need to be drilled hundreds of feet deep to reach reliable water.
Each month, Pike County Conservation District staff visit monitoring wells to measure the depth to groundwater using a specialized well level indicator. These readings show whether water levels are rising, falling, or remaining stable. Over time, this data helps track how aquifers respond to rainfall, drought, snowmelt, and human activities like development or groundwater pumping.
When water is pumped from a well, it creates a cone of depression, which is a drop in the water table around the well. If too many wells draw from the same aquifer, or if drought conditions persist, water levels can fall below the pump intake and cause wells to run dry. Monitoring helps detect these trends early and provides valuable information for managing water resources.
PCCD Watershed Specialist testing a well using a water level tape.
Modern wells include several features designed to protect water quality and ensure wells function properly:
All monitoring data collected in Pike County is reviewed by the U.S. Geological Survey and shared publicly through their databases. In many ways, groundwater monitoring acts like a routine checkup for the county’s underground water supply, helping ensure this hidden resource remains available for the communities and ecosystems that depend on it.
A schematic of how a typical single-home domestic water well works. Credit: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
An infographic by Penn State Extension showing groundwater use in PA.
For Pike County residents, groundwater is not an abstract concept. It is the water that flows from kitchen faucets, fills backyard wells, and supports the streams, wetlands, and forests that define the region.
Across Pennsylvania and much of the country, groundwater is under increasing pressure. Growing development, high-capacity pumping, and shifting climate patterns are placing greater demands on aquifers. In some places, water is being withdrawn faster than nature can replenish it, leading to declining water tables and long-term stress on underground water supplies.
Pike County has taken a proactive approach to understanding and protecting this resource.
Nearly two decades after it began, the county’s groundwater monitoring program now includes 21 active wells located across major watersheds, including Wallenpaupack, Shohola, Bushkill, and Sawkill. These wells track groundwater levels across different geological conditions and provide a long-term record of how local aquifers respond to rainfall, drought, seasonal changes, and water use.
Through our partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, this information is publicly available through USGS Pennsylvania Groundwater Watch, an interactive online tool that allows residents, researchers, and planners to view groundwater conditions from monitoring wells across the state. As Pike County continues to grow and face the realities of a changing climate, understanding what is happening beneath the surface is more important than ever. The data collected through this program helps guide responsible decisions about land use, water management, and conservation.
Groundwater may be hidden from view, but it is central to the health of Pike County’s communities and landscapes. By monitoring it carefully today, the Pike County Conservation District is helping ensure that clean, reliable water remains available for residents, wildlife, and future generations.
