The Need for Hydrostratigraphic Nomenclature – the Florida Experience

In 1986, the Florida Geological Survey (FGS) published the first guidelines for naming Florida's aquifers and confining systems (Southeastern Geological Society, 1986). Florida's explosive growth has resulted in a need for developing expanded water sources, including less productive aquifers that were not emphasized in the 1986 guidelines. The Second Ad Hoc Committee on Hydrostratigraphic Nomenclature (SCHN) has been working on an updated set of guidelines for naming aquifers changing the focus to all strata that are capable of producing water. The SCHN researched other hydrostratigraphic nomenclature proposals including Laney and Davidson (1986) and the proposal from Seaber (1992). A SCHN member met with the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature (NACSN) at the 2007 GSA meeting in Denver. NACSN expressed an interest in including hydrostratigraphic nomenclature in the North American Code. This effort is currently underway.