the data from the predominately shallow wells already present.         The
Wisconsiz Geological and Natural History Survey was hired to install
three deep test wells in the study area.    These wells had three and one
half foot steel drive points on the end and were constructed of one and
one quarter inch steel.   They were protected from vandalism by setting
four inch well casing over them and padlocking down a removeable top.
The wells were vigorously bailed by using a pitcher pump.
Two wells were installed on the state highway wayside.        One of
these was 103 feet deep and believed to be close to the granite and the
other was   70 feet deep.    Besides the waysides existing handpump      a
forgotten driven point well from some other researcher was also found.
This one and one quarter inch well was 19.6 feet deep and dubbed the
"Unknown Soldier".    It too was pressed into service for a nitrate
sample.
The third test well was installed just off Forest Avenue and it was
sixty nine feet deep.   The WGNHS felt they definitely hit granite when
constructing this well after examining the drill cuttings recovered. We
now believe the well serving Plover Pine Village System No. 10 also
termintes just above the granite as it is nearby.
Another deep well chosen for this study is the one serving Sunrise
Restaurant. A new two inch well was constructed there during the summer
of 1986 to try and avoid the nitrate problem.   This well is 72 feet deep
and the contractor felt he was definitely stopped from driving further
because he hit the granite . Since this area has few large rocks, we
encountered none, he    is probably   right.   Water   samples were also
collected at the deep wells serving Sunset Terrace Apartments and Mid
Wis. Inn.

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By sampling these deep well sites, as shown on Map No. 5, I was
able to get data from several deep wells located fairly equidistant
along the Highway 54 corridor.   The amount of sand and gravel overburden
above the granite lessened as one drove closer to the Wisconsin River
Results
From looking at table one, you can see most of the area wells had
an elevated nitrate nitrogen content in their water.    Thirty one of the
fifty five wells sampled showed an elevated nitrate content above eight
parts per million (ppm).   There were a number of wells with nine to ten
ppm nitrate and these might easily exceed the health limit of 10 ppm
under certain conditions. Twenty two of the wells sampled were actually
above the 10 ppm health limit for nitrate and four of these wells were
above 20 ppm. The highest value reported being 27 ppm nitrate nitrogen.
The area most affected by the nitrate problem is the strip between
Adams Service, plotted as site number 4 on map No. 4, and Ribstone Silo,
plotted as site number 19.     Most of the wells in this area had an
extremely elevated nitrate content and high nitrate water is still
present just above the granite, although not as high. As you go further
southeast, the sand and gravel overburden increases and it appears one
could drill a deep well to get beneath the problem.     This idea is best
illustrated by the work done on the state wayside.        At 70 feet the
nitrate level was 13.9 ppm but at 103 feet the nitrate level had dropped
off to just 5.5 ppm nitrate.
The wayside itself is an interesting study area.     It is literally
surrounded by irrigated agriculture yet the 23 foot deep handpump tested

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