Boone County officials on Thursday received an update on an ongoing three‑dimensional geologic mapping project and related watershed planning that staff said will help the county prioritize future water‑supply protection and competitive grant applications.

The mapping “is a layer between 60 and 70 meters below the ground surface,” Dan Kane, presenting for the county’s Water Resource Program, told the Committee of the Whole. Kane said the project will produce multiple stacked layers from the surface down to about 1,000 feet and that the Troy Bedrock Valley shows a likely pathway for groundwater recharge.

Kane said geophysics work will include seismic profiles—“they essentially send a sound signal through the ground and then they record the return signal”—and that three additional data wells will be drilled this summer with funding from the United States Geological Survey to complement the county’s investment.

Why it matters: Kane told the board that three‑dimensional and watershed data together form a risk‑management tool to protect water supplies and make the county more competitive for funding. He cited Section 319 water‑quality grants (federal funds passed through state EPA) and other federal, state and foundation sources as typical funding avenues that can favor projects with formal watershed plans.

The presenter said Beaver Creek and Upper Beaver Creek are the only watersheds in the county with existing watershed plans; those plans are about 120 pages and meet standards commonly required to secure grant funding. Kane said watershed planning typically takes 18 to 20 months and “opens the door for opportunity for funding from 319 grant programs and other federal and state sources.”

Board members asked whether Joliet’s connection to Lake Michigan water would relieve pressure on local aquifers. Kane responded that it “depends on how they distribute that water,” and that infrastructure costs and consumer fees would influence whether users shift away from local groundwater. Kane also warned that some deeper sandstone aquifers are showing a long‑term cone of depression and that, where saline water lies above or near freshwater, pumping can introduce water‑quality problems.

Kane framed the county work as preventative: better geologic and watershed information can help protect recharge areas and baseline stream flow, which he said is substantially supported by groundwater. He urged strategic prioritization of watershed planning to make the county’s limited resources and matching funds more efficient.

Board discussion ranged from grant mechanics to related public‑education topics such as recycling and lead contaminants raised by members during Q&A; Kane and other staff limited their remarks to the technical scope of mapping and watershed planning.

The county did not take formal action on the update; Kane said the project will continue and that the USGS‑funded borings are scheduled for June.