Principles of Groundwater Flow

Abstract

Hydraulic head is the elevation to which water will naturally rise in a well (a.k.a. “static level). Any well that is not being pumped will do for this, but a well that is created especially for measuring hydraulic head is known as an observation well a monitoring well or a piezometer. For unconfined aquifers the hydraulic head is the same thing as the water table. For confined aquifers it is not.