Dye Tracing

Dye tracing:

I have worked on karst drainage basin delineation for several years now. The most important tool for doing good dye traces is not dye, but field work! A dye trace uses small quantities of non-toxic dyes to prove a hydrologic connection between two points. Usually, this involves a sinking stream (inlet) and a karst spring (outlet). Dye traces can prove 'obvious' hydrologic connections between two points, they can provide 'extra' information (as in, 'the dye goes to more than one place'), or they can just as easily prove that you know almost nothing about a groundwater system and that all your initial assumptions were wrong.

I feel fairly strongly that all states containing karst should be working on a comprehensive karst hydrology study to delineate and characterize karst drainage basins. Because the potential for contamination is so great in karst aquifers, and the time required to study the basins relatively long, these studies should be undertaken before there is a problem. Many localities are discovering that changing, or more intensive, land-uses are negatively impacting their primary water sources. If planners had known the extents and characteristics of these water sources (generally karst aquifers) a priori, they may have avoided these problems. But, then again, maybe not... Obviously, since I am interested in karst drainage basins, I'm hoping that I would be a part of this work if it is ever funded!

Here is a good link for more information about Dye Tracing. Another place to find more information is at Ozark Underground Laboratory. Check out their excellent publication titled 'Groundwater Tracing Handbook'.