GULF SHORES, Ala. – Gulf Shores Utilities is looking to expand its system of test wells and hopes to use the police firing range to do so.

Clifford Johnson of the Utilities Board made the request at a recent work session and was given council OK at the regular session that followed. The range is located on Baldwin County 4 west of Alabama 59.

“The utility board has been putting observation wells around our jurisdiction here to try to monitor the aquifer system,” Johnson said. “We have papers showing our aquifer system as the geologist has identified them.”

According to dictionary.com an aquifer is any geological formation containing or conducting ground water, especially one that supplies the water for wells, springs

“Two examples of the information that we’ve obtained from the observation wells that we have so far which shows how when we pump water at different times of the year how the aquifer reacts to the use of that water and then in the off season how they recharge,” Johnson told the council. “These observation wells, by not being located around our wells, gives a more accurate picture of how our aquifer system performs.

“This is very vital information for the long term planning and management or our water resources for Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan and all the general area.”

Deputy Police Chief Fred Beamon told the council his department had no problem with allowing the wells on the property at the firing range.

“I’ve spoken with the police department and requested from the city council to have a location at the firing range, put us another observation location that will help us identify this aquifer along that area and determine if it does come that far south,” Johnson said. “If it does then we’re able to monitor to see how our water system is affected at that location.”

Johnson said the range would benefit by having lines ran to the property by the utilities board.

“Gulf Shores Utilities would put water to the firing range property for any future development and now for any needs that they may have while using the range,” he said.

The wells would not take up a lot of room, Johnson said.

“It’s a 20 by 15, it’s just a little block, is realistically, all we’d need,” he said. “You’d have to drill the well. The final well would be just a little one-foot by one-foot pad with steel casing around it so the casing can’t get damaged, the pipe’s in the ground.

“There’d be two of them if we are able to locate the aquifer in that location. It’ll be off the roadway to the east, just off the edge of the woods and I personally don’t think it would cause any interference with any future development.”

The council unanimously OK’d giving the Utility Board easement on the city-owned property for the test wells.